Harry Potter and the Rising of the Bennu
by Oriens Bennu
Summary: Rising from the ashes of the death of Sirius Black, Harry Potter faces the trials life throws at him and tries to turn into the saviour the wizarding world needs
1. Chapter One

**Chapter One**

It was with an air of defeat that Harry Potter finally lay back against his bed and closed his eyes. Sometimes the world just seemed to overwhelm him completely, and it was a secret wish of his that he could just sit back and allow it to overwhelm him. It was so tiring, forever putting up barriers against breaking down; forever concentrating on staying strong and stable for those around him.

Of course, Harry knew he wasn't perfect, not by any means of the word. He had had more than his fair share of outbursts, more than his fair share of broods. The past year had been particularly bad, and he had found it increasingly hard to control himself and keep his temper in check.

Harry saw a lot more than he let on and a lot more than the people around him realized, he knew. His mind worked in many funny ways, cataloguing this and that, forever wary. He knew he would never have the brains of Hermione, but he also knew he was by no means unintelligent. If he had the desire, he could rival her skills, he knew.

As he drifted on his bed, in and out of a restless sleep, he knew his mind was still awake and sharp. Sometimes he felt indignant that Ron was forever defeating him at chess. Every other occasion demonstrated how he analysed a frightening amount of things when he walked into a room without really realizing it. He had never in his life gone into a room without looking deeply into its details, and memorising it. He planned ahead, in a way. Planned for the inevitable.

Harry knew now, if he didn't before, that Voldemort wasn't going to go away. The man had murdered his parents, his friends, and now his Godfather to get to him, and he knew nothing would provide a barrier for long against him. Voldemort was coming for him and Harry wanted to be ready for him when he came.

His friends were concerned, mainly because they feared for him, and feared how he was taking Sirius's death. His Godfather though, wasn't what had made him brood as he had done so terribly in the last days of school. He wasn't what had made the smile refuse to come to his face.

Of course, the pain was still there. He lost the only father figure he had ever known, and it hurt, it hurt like hell, but now wasn't the time to hurt. Sirius had been pushed gently to aside. Harry knew that he wouldn't want him to dwell over him.

What had focussed his attention in those last days of school was his future. After years of waiting, he finally knew the reason why his parents were killed, the reason why he was forced to grow up with the Dursleys, and the reason why Voldemort just wouldn't leave him alone. To kill or be killed...the power of those five words had shaken him thoroughly to the core, but after all he had been through, he wasn't going to let simple words defeat him. He now knew his purpose; his responsibility. The days it had taken him to understand and accept this had been long and hard, but they were now over.

It was on the train platform, watching the odd family he had never had standing up for him that had finally made him see sense. He had watched Uncle Vernon cower before the grown wizards and witches, filled with comforting warmth that those people cared about him enough to threaten violence. It had also reminded him that he needed to be protected, and that to be protected, people were sacrificing themselves for him, to put up that barrier between him and Voldemort. That had to stop, and it had to stop as soon as humanly possible.

It was now the early hours of the morning. Having returned from Kings Cross with nothing other than glares sent his way by the Dursleys, he had had plenty of time to think and plot. The most important thing at the moment was to prepare. He knew, as much as he hated it, that he needed the protection others were forcing upon him. He knew even more though, that he had to grow, he had to learn how to fight and protect himself. Voldemort would never go away, and the longer it took Harry to face him, the more people were going to die keeping him away from him.

It had been with this understanding that Harry decided on his course of action. He had three days until the Order checked in on him, three days in which he was fully going to take advantage of. First though, he would need supplies. Tomorrow, when the sun slowly rose above the neat lawns of Privet Drive , Harry would be away to Diagon Alley.


	2. Chapter Two

**Chapter Two**

As the sun rose slowly above the neat lawns of Privet Drive , the gentle hooting of a concerned snowy owl could be heard from Number Four.

Hedwig, as if she almost understood her master's need to escape the house, quietly coaxed the tightly curled lump on the bed of the smallest bedroom into the waking world.

Harry was most reluctant to wake up this morning. He was vaguely aware of how all of his plans from the previous evening were going to waste, but he found it atrociously hard to convince himself to wake up. Sleep wasn't a nice experience for Harry, but as rare as it was, it offered some sense of detachment from the real world. As he lumbered in the dregs of his pitiful excuse for sleep, Harry didn't want to let go of that detachment and face the world.

Despite what he may want though, that didn't coincide with his loyal owl Hedwig. Even as quietly as she was ruffling her feathers and hooting to avoid detection by the Dursleys, the noise was consistent enough to be very sleep-off-putting. It was so, with a growl of annoyance that Harry Potter threw his covers aside and climbed to his feet to appease his owl.

A quick glance at his salvaged alarm clock told Harry that he wasn't as far behind schedule as he had expected. Apparently the sun had decided to come a whole half an hour later than it should have done. Either that or his clock had finally reached the point beyond repair.

Clumsily feeding Hedwig some owl treats and stroking her coat gently, Harry glanced disparately around the smallest bedroom of Number Four, beginning to wish he was in his cupboard again. That way there wouldn't be so much ground to cover to get to his clothes.

With a quiet grumble he forced the sleep from his eyes and stumbled over to his trunk, decided he most definitely wasn't going to pretend to be a morning person if he happened to come across his aunt or uncle. Manners, even grudgingly given, he believed in, even to people like the Dursleys and Snape. Come this morning though, he doubted he would be able to give them very well, should he be put to the test.

Ten minutes later, having snuck into the bathroom to quickly wash, Harry was sat at his desk, quietly staring at the worn wood, and attempting to clear his mind. He knew what he was planning to do today was risky, especially since he knew that Voldemort was not in the best of moods with him thanks to his own personalized antenna. If he was caught outside of the protection of Privet Drive , he could count his blessings goodbye. There would be no help for him this time.

Despite this, Harry knew he was still going to go. He was oh so very tired of people ruling his life. He had been suppressed too many years at the hands of the Dursleys; he didn't want to experience the same from the wizarding world. It was time to take control, time to take action. He was going to take control of his own future, with the or without Dumbledore's permission. With that thought in mind, he stood abruptly, resulting in a reprimand from Hedwig. He gave her a pointed look before gathering up the essential items for the day. His wand was always on him nowadays, but for this occasion Harry also collected his invisibility cloak, Gringotts key, and remaining money, wizarding and muggle alike. As he let the slivery substance of his father's cloak close around him, he decided himself ready.

Getting out of the house was relatively easy. The keys to the front door were always kept on the shelf in the hallway - all he had to do was post them back through the letterbox when he was done. He doubted very much the Dursleys would be worried about his sudden disappearance from the house today. If he wasn't back in time to prevent the arrival of Mad Eye Moody to check up with him though, he was very sure they would be worried.

Mad Eye was a great cause for concern now. After learning he was watched very closely over during the summer, he had taken the precaution of using his invisibility cloak. He could only hope that Moody wasn't taking guard duty this morning, otherwise he would be caught before he even managed to reach the end of the street. That magical eye of his really was as bothersome as it was useful.

Fortunately, by the end of the street, Harry had not been stopped, nor had he heard any tell of any guard. He wondered vaguely if this was Mundungus Fletcher's shift, and what would happen to him if he was found gone on his watch. He certainly wasn't in anyone's high books thanks to the Dementor attack last year. For his sake, he hoped it wasn't his turn to watch him, or god help him if Mrs. Weasley caught wind of his outing. God help Harry for that matter as well if that happened.

After Harry reached the end of Wisteria Walk, he was beginning to scold himself for worrying so much about being caught. What was the chance really, of one guard catching him invisible, in an area as extensive as Little Whinging? More than likely there wasn't even a guard this early in the morning.

After travelling down a few more streets, and taking a few twists and turns to stave of his paranoia of being followed somehow, he stepped into a dark alley, and removed his cloak, tucking it under his grossly hideous jumper before flattening down his fringe and taking a breath. This was the truly worrisome part - finding the reliability of Stan Shunpike out.

Simply put, the Knight Bus was Harry's only option. While he found it rather ironic it ran all hours despite it's name, he didn't have anywhere near enough Muggle money to get him to London, and so was left with the option of wizarding transport. He could only hope that Stan was willing to keep his identity quiet, and that no one would recognize him on the way. The first thing he intended on doing when getting to London was spend what little money he had on a cheap cap to cover his scar, which would hopefully let him go largely unnoticed in Diagon Alley, where more appropriate methods to disguise himself could hopefully be found.

With this reassuring thought in mind, Harry stepped back into the light of the main road, and after making sure the coast was clear, quickly jabbed out his wand, jumping back immediately into the alley as a massive telltale explosion spoke of the presence of the Knight Bus.

"Welcome to the Knight Bus, emergency transport for stranded witches and wizards. Just hold out your...hello?" Harry glanced around the alley, smiling weakly as Stan looked around in confusion.

_"Stan!"_ Stan glanced his way in surprise at his violent hiss. His eyes widened in recognition, but thankfully he had enough sense not to say anything as Harry put his fingers to his lips. He glanced around for a moment in obvious confusion, before shrugging.

"What ya doing there hiding in those shadows Neville? You want the bus or don't ya?" Harry smiled in relief.

"Yes Stan, I want the bus, I...I'm just feeling _shy_." Stan grinned and gave Harry a small nod.

"Don't worry Neville, we won't lead you wrong. Come on me lad, on the bus. Now, where you heading?" Harry smoothed down his fringe again and glanced cautiously around, glad to find the bus apparently empty.

"Diagon Alley."

"That'll be three galleons that, hot chocolate costs more, I'm sure you remember." Harry nodded once, glancing at the bus driver who was staring at him curiously. Definitely not Ernie, this man looked much too clean and proper to be driving a bus.

"Diagon Alley?" Harry nodded again, being sure to keep his eyes averted. His mother's eyes were nearly as big a give away as his scar.

"Yes please. Where shall I sit?" Stan gave him a sideways glance.

"Here Neville, I'll show you." Harry smiled at Stan in thanks as the bus lunged into motion, nearly sending him violently to the floor. Stan grinned at him as they made their way down the bus.

"Gotta get used to it Nev. Don't mind Barmy, he's new, don't seem to like the job much either. Cursed a fella last week off the bus cause he were wearing a hood. Death Eater's might be out an about, but ain't none of 'em stupid enough to get on the bus in there get up now is there?" Harry smiled in what he hoped to be a friendly way before very gladly taking his seat at the back of the bus.

"You can't be too careful I suppose. Thanks Stan, I appreciate this." Stan nodded, his eyes alight with curiosity.

"What ya running from this time then Neville?" Harry sighed a bit, flattening his fringe down yet again. What he wouldn't have given to have a cap in the first place. If only Dudley hadn't burnt that last one...

"Oh sorry. I'm not really running...well, I suppose I am. I'm not supposed to leave the Muggles." Stan just nodded.

"Can't be no fun living with 'em all the time. Would have thought ya'd have ended up somewhere bit more posh." Harry winced.

"Yeah well...I just need to keep a low profile you know? Need some supplies from the Alley, and my friends won't approve of some of them." Stan glanced up at the front before leaning conspicuously closer.

"What're you up to?" Harry took a breath, laying out his options. Stan was harmless enough, but he couldn't see him not buckling under pressure. The fact that he covered for him didn't hurt though.

"Nothing I can really say Stan, but I think you can come to your own conclusions with Vold...You-Know-Who's return." Stan paled a bit, but nodded, a serious Harry didn't expect to see in his face.

"I read that article in the Quibbler; you ain't got half a mean summer to look forward to haven't ya?" Harry nodded weakly, glancing out of the window to see fields and cows.

"Got a lot of things to look forward to over the next year or so I expect. How long till London ?" Stan glanced at his watch for a moment.

"You can count of being there in fifteen minutes sharp. Barmy ain't no slacker. He's either there right smack on time, or ya know something bad's happened."

"Anything bad happening at the moment?" Stan looked around for a brief moment.

"Naught in the Prophet, but I hear things ya know, on this bus." Harry glanced at him wearily. He knew instantly he wasn't going to like this news.

"What've you heard?" Stan glanced back at the front, as if making sure they weren't being ears dropped on by Barmy. Harry hoped he wasn't trying to overhear them - all of his concentration should really be focussed on the road.

"A squib family were attacked few nights back. Mum and dad, and a daughter going on six. All killed. No Dark Mark, but the bloke swore on Merlin's grave he saw Death Eater's."

"No Dark Mark?" Harry asked softly. He knew better than to dwell on the small girl who never got to live. He had to stay strong, strong and focussed. This wasn't going to be the last murder, he knew.

"Nope, not a nillywinkle. I reckon he's going and keepin' it quiet. Heard you went and got his inner circle few weeks back, don't reckon he's gonna act all high and mighty till they're out and about." Harry shivered at the thought of Lucius Malfoy running free again, never mind any of the other's that were caught that night at the Ministry.

"Strange though. Now that Fudge has announced he's back, I didn't think he'd lay as low as he had been doing."

"Maybe he's scared. Ain't no school boy ever taken down a Death Eater before, never mind a whole bunch of them!" Harry flushed.

"I had help from friends...a lot of friends actually." He sobered, remembering how in the end the Order had to rescue them, and yet despite how they had finally outnumbered the Death Eater's a turn or so over, someone had to die.

"Still ain't no mean feat. I hear things on this bus, I tell ya, and I heard some other bloke praising ya. Said ya were teaching students Defence at Hogwarts last year when that hag Umbridge were sticking her nose in everyone's business. Takes a hell of a lot to teach, and a hell of a lot more to get the kids to listen to ya. You gotta have some mighty thick stuff in ya to get kids your own age to take ya seriously enough to learn from ya." Harry flushed again, but was actually pleased this time. The one thing he could truly say he was proud of was the DA. He doubted his own teaching ability, but he knew that the effort everyone had put into it had truly been something. Neville particularly, he was extremely proud of. He couldn't bring to mind anyone who brought out Gryffindor qualities as clearly as he did the past year.

"My friends understood how serious the situation was." Stan nodded solemnly.

"Ain't going be sunny days much longer now I don't reckon, now he's back, but we ain't going to take him lying down, just you watch. You ain't the only one who thinks the git needs a good comeuppance." Harry couldn't prevent his smile at that. Stan definitely knew how to express himself, though he had an idea that if he stopped to realize he'd just called Voldemort a git he'd be horrified.

"Oh he'll get that. Dumbledore's most definitely not lying down."

"No he ain't, and from the looks of it, neithers you. Ain't got nothin' to worry 'bout with the two of you up 'gainst him." Harry stared at him for a moment before lowering his head and muttering to himself. What could was he against Voldemort? The last time they'd met, the only thing he'd managed to do was stand in the way of a killing curse.

"Now don't ya go and look like that. You were the one who went and got rid of him when ya were a mere baby, and if any of the stories are true, you ain't half a pain in his backside. Give ya a year or two of training and we're all set, you mark my words." Harry laughed weakly at his enthusiasm. He really wished he could say the same thing. It'd be nice to have everything over and done by the time he left school, but he doubted that would happen. He doubted he would even live that long at times.

"Nice to hear that Stan." Stan nodded, not appearing to notice to defeated tone in his voice.

"I ain't much in a fight, but I ain't takin' nothing standing down. I'll help in me own way, even if it is just listening in on the bus." Harry smiled kindly at him, vaguely surprised at the transformation from his vibrant speech, to his own self-security.

"That may help more than you know. Not every war is on the battlefield. Do you think you could owl me if you hear anything interesting? If nothing else, I can always pass it on to Dumbledore." Stan's eyes set alight at that.

"That's what I'll do! Ain't no man getting past my ears I'll tell ya. I'll give ya the goss second it passes through this bus, and 'opefully you'll use it to do He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named in." Harry smiled again at the young man's vigour. In a way he reminded him a bit of Ron when he was talking about the necessity of food at anytime of the day.

"Hopefully the war won't become what it was before I was born if we have people like you willing to help." Harry wasn't really sure if he said this to simply appease the man, or to himself as an afterthought. It struck him into a silence, wondering on the truth of the words. From what he had learnt, it was because of broken friendship and suspicion that the previous war had escalated so. Making ties definitely sounded promising.

"That's it in a nutshell. Heard your Sortin' Hat went and said something of the likes. You don't just not listen to summit like that." Harry smiled a bit, wondering vaguely when the sorting hat's message had leaked from his mind. He could remember feeling troubled by it at the time, but then Umbridge must have gained priority in his thoughts. He truly hoped she was where she deserved to be - behind bars.

"Diagon Alley! Get yourself up here Stan! It isn't your job to make gossip with the clients!" Stan's face darkened, and he muttered some choice words that would have shocked Harry if he didn't spend so much time around a certain Ronald Weasley. He hid his smile as he carefully climbed to his feet.

"Thanks Stan, you've given me a lot to think about." Stan snapped out of his thoughts and grinned.

"Anythin' to help Neville. I'll owl you at first sign of trouble." Harry nodded and on impulse shook his hand, before turning and blushing, wondering what on earth had made him do that. It was much too...formal. Stan didn't seem to think it out of the ordinary though as he led him to the front of the bus. With one last wave, Harry stepped of the bus and watched it disappear with a bang, the raised voices of Stan and Barmy arguing in the wind even after they were gone.


	3. Chapter Three

**Chapter Three**

Harry rarely had chance to move about Muggle London or any type of muggle shopping area. Aunt Petunia either locked him in the car, or left him at home. The only good he could do was carry the bags. After spending three quarters of an hour searching for a shop that sold a simple hat, Harry couldn't help but be anything but extremely thankful to his aunt.

He thought he'd started out well enough. Only a few minutes after he had gotten of the Knight Bus, he had found a clothes shop. It had taken him ten minutes in there of searching before any assistants had shown up, and told him that they only sold the best. One look at Dudley 's rags on him had pretty much resulted in him being thrown out of the store.

The next shop he'd stopped in had been smaller, and more promising to his eye. He found out to his horror though it was a girls shop, and the only things anywhere near where he wanted were hair extensions and fake crowns.

Two shops on didn't really give much to go on either. On the shop he had actually had success, and found two caps, both were ridiculously high priced. He'd almost complained to the shop assistant. Who in their right mind would buy one of those caps when for the same price you could buy a whole new outfit? Even Harry wasn't that desperate for something to cover his head if he even had that amount of money on him.

At long last thankfully, he had come across a charity shop, much further out of his way than he liked. At least though, the kind old lady in the shop sold him the cap for a very reasonable amount of 50p. The cap was only a bit tatty and was completely night-time blue, inconspicuous enough in the wizarding world. Anyone looking at him would simply think him a muggle-born who hadn't quite grown out of old habits.

So, after his very off-putting detour around London, Harry finally lowered the cap to cover the greatest part of his face, and after taking a deep breath, pushed himself into the drab shadows of the Leaky Cauldron.

The moment the creak of the front door was heard, every head in the bar turned his way, but thankfully, unlike so many times before, they turned back to their business immediately. He heard the odd mutterings of stupid muggle-borns as he passed, but other than that, he had absolutely no complaints. No one stopped him, or even appeared to give him a second thought as he passed through. Less than thirty seconds later, he was opening the entrance to Diagon Alley, and really putting his simple disguise to his test.

Harry wasn't really sure what to think, when he found the alley deserted. Of course, it was early morning...very early. The shops he had visited had just been opening, and there were more than a few that hadn't been open at all. However, when he slowly began moving down the alley, he found none of the shops closed. The owners actually looked particularly bored whenever he managed to glimpse them. It gave him a horrid suspicion.

Quietly making his way up to Gringotts, he found to his relief it was open, if not sparsely occupied. There were only four goblins on duty. Glancing around twice, making sure that there was no one else with him, he quickly moved to the nearest goblin. If there was one thing he detested other than Voldemort, it was being in such an open space by himself. He felt like much too great a target.

"How may I help you?" He looked the goblin over, but failed to recognize him.

"I would like ask whether it is possible to make frequent withdrawals from my account without actually coming to Gringotts. I'm not sure if you're familiar with the idea of a Bank card..." The goblin reacted in such a manner Harry was worried he'd insulted him.

"Of course we are aware of what a Bank Card is sir! Knowing is our line of work. Now, yes, we do have such a variation on Bank Cards, but I'm afraid it's rather expensive..."

"How so?" The goblin looked him over once sharply, obviously not liking being interrupted. He reminded Harry a bit of Percy. Definitely took his work much too seriously.

"Well, the initial price of our withdrawal money pouch is 300 galleons, and to keep the pouch running, at least 50 galleons has to be spent within every two months, or we will withdraw the withstanding amount and use it as we see fit."

"You mean either I spend 50 galleons every two months, or you take that 50 galleons away from me?" The goblin looked rather amused at his audacity.

"Yes sir, that is it exactly. Now, I doubt your account will be able to sustain such an agreement, but if I could have your name, I will check." Harry hesitated a moment, and then glanced quickly around to make sure he was still alone.

"Harry Potter." The goblin snorted and opened his mouth, but very promptly shut it when Harry tilted his cap enough to reveal his scar.

"Oh...Mr. Potter, please forgive my manners..." Harry felt his eyes narrow. Definitely a Percy wannabe. Loved his job too much, and was not afraid of sucking up by any means.

"If you could check my account as you mentioned?" He couldn't tell for certain, but it seemed to him that the goblin actually blushed a bit before doing so. He wasn't even aware goblins _could_ blush.

"Yes Mr. Potter. I happen to know that while your trust account, created by James Potter will not be sufficient for such an agreement for more than a few years, some of your other accounts have much more promising results." Harry blinked, pushing aside the fact he could spend 50 galleons a month for the next few years. There must have been more gold in his account than he knew.

"Other accounts?" The goblin looked at him in surprise.

"Well yes Mr. Potter." Harry waited, but the goblin didn't continue. Of course, something else he was supposed to know about his own life, which evidently yet again someone had forgotten to mention to him.

"Could you elaborate please. I wasn't aware of any other accounts." The goblin simply stared at him for a moment before seeming to compose himself.

"Of course Mr. Potter, but by all rights you should have been contacted about them. Naturally, you have access to the Potter Family vault, though that is slightly restricted as you are not yet of age. You can make withdrawals though, as long as you withdraw no greater than 500,000 galleons in one year. You have full access to both the trust funds set up by Albus Dumbledore, and by the Ministry of Magic. The account you are using at the moment is also being added to by a...Mr. Fred and George Weasley weekly." Harry blinked, and for a moment there was complete silence in his mind, just before he started swearing loudly to himself. When he gave them the money, he _gave_ them it. He didn't want it back!

"Wait a sec...did you say other trust funds?" The goblin nodded, pulling a piece of parchment out from his desk. Harry had to wonder how he picked out the right one, and why it was there in the first place, considering the amount of paperwork Gringotts must carry, but then realized it must have been an enchanted draw.

"Yes. Albus Dumbledore set up one on Halloween Night, 16 years ago. The stated intention was for it to provide for your living costs while living with some allocated muggles. That vault contains only muggle currency, valid in Britain ." Harry didn't really know how to take this. Dumbledore had set up a vault for him the night his parents had died? Why'd he never mention it? And why didn't the Dursleys for that matter? He really couldn't see them passing up a great amount of money just because of their fear of wizardry. They were forever complaining about how much he cost them. Furthermore, why hadn't Dumbledore mentioned something over the years when he'd seen the state of his clothes? He would have given anything to know about his own stash of muggle money when he was younger. He used to absolutely hate wearing Dudley 's cast offs until he had finally just got used to it.

"Mr. Potter? I asked if you would like to know the amount in that vault?"

"What? Oh...of course."

"Albus Dumbledore specifically asked for no interest to be given to the account, so the amount now is the amount deposited, as I can see you have made no withdrawals over the years. As such, you have 250,000 pounds in that vault." Harry _really_ needed to have words with Dumbledore when he saw him next, never mind the Dursleys. Oh he couldn't wait to tell them that they had a quarter of a million pounds that they missed their chance on!

"Why so much?"

"I believe it was meant to last 17 years, until you are expected to be able to move out of your residence with the muggles and become your own responsibility." Harry smiled evilly at that. He had more than a few plans how to say goodbye to the Dursleys. They would have to wait though, his interest was piped.

"And you mentioned a Ministry vault?" The goblin nodded and consulted his paper.

"Yes, created the same night. Though there is no reason, I remember it was a sum from the Ministry of Magic in response to your defeat of the Dark Lord. The vault was made public, so was added to from many different sources in the community, as a gesture of gratitude I take it. That vault isn't added to as much as it was when it was first created now, but there are the random deposits. It is also under the highest interest growth option we allow. Your family vault doesn't have such a high option. We only normally give the option to our own shareholders or by direct order from the Wizengamot. It seems you have some powerful friends Mr. Potter." Harry flushed, wondering if Dumbledore had done it. He knew he was Chief Warlock now, reinstated, but was he all those years ago as well? Maybe he could get Hermione to check into it.

"Perhaps. Is there anything else I should know about?"

"Wouldn't you like to know the amount in the Ministry vault Mr. Potter?" He let out a long breath. He really didn't think he was going to like this.

"I suppose I should know." The goblin consulted his parchment again for a moment.

"Currently, the vault contains 728,121,482 Galleons, 74 Sickles, and 542 Knuts, though due to the interest rates...are you alright Mr. Potter, you look rather pale." Pale was most definitely an understatement. Lord over Jesus Christ! 1000 Galleons had seemed much too much money last year! How much did he say? 728 something million? Harry suddenly felt horribly weak at the knees.

"Mr. Potter, are you quite alright?" Harry took a few deep breaths and forced himself to calm. Lord...not even the Malfoy's had that much if there was truth to the rumours.

"How much...how much did the Ministry deposit?" The goblin checked.

"100,000,000. They were most grateful for your actions. I believe they all but drained their remaining budget that year. The deposit of course was public knowledge, so there was another side to it of course. I believe that our present Minister had a very outspoken view on how much gratitude should be shown." Harry felt the hairs on his arms rising as anger surged through him at the mention of Fudge. If that poor excuse for a man had used him again for his own personal gain...

"Other than the money, there are a substantial amount of other items in that vault as well. There are a great many letters I believe, and then things ranging from Jewellery, potions, to lingerie. In fact, there was rather a dispute about whether or not to remove the lingerie because at the time they were sent, you were dreadfully underage." If Harry didn't know any better, he would say that the goblin in front of him was teasing him. He certainly didn't need to, he felt embarrassed enough as it is.

"I don't think I'll find any use for that." The goblin nodded.

"Very well sir, but if I may, you might find there are some _very_ useful items in that vault. Some people were more thoughtful in their purchases." Harry watched him for a moment in confusion. It wasn't like a goblin to speak as such.

"Such as?" The goblin leaned forward as close as Stan Shunpike had done on the Knight Bus.

"There are a few magical items, which may not have been recognized for their true worth and potential. Some are luxury items that are extremely hard to come by, while others were made for the sole purpose of the fight against the Dark. You had some _very_ important and powerful people looking out for you Mr. Potter. If you were to take my opinion into consideration, you really should take time as soon as possible to browse that vault." Harry wasn't exactly sure what to say to that, but if there was one thing that was said about goblins, it was that no one knew the worth of items more than they. He knew that such an offer a hint was not to be taken with the eyes closed.

"I may do that, but I wouldn't know..." The goblin most definitely had an ulterior motive.

"Of course Mr. Potter, you would need to be accompanied. While magic cannot be recorded in our vaults, you may find that the goblin brand of magic may reveal some things more easily than yours can." Harry frowned a bit at that, but after a long moment of though, nodded his agreement. What could it hurt? An expert to show him the necessary things would be helpful.

"Alright. Is it possible to go now or do you..." The goblin immediately leaped up and put a closed notice on his window. A second later he was at his side.

"Money makes time Mr. Potter; you would do well to understand that in business with Gringotts. Now, if you will follow me." Harry stared at the small figure, wondering what exactly he had got himself into. As he found himself towards the dreaded Gringotts carts, he had very little time to take into consideration what he was doing. His original plan was to get either a way to withdraw as stated earlier or a big sack of gold and be out of there as quickly as possible. It looked like his timetable was most definitely not going to be the one planned though.

"You may want to hold on Mr. Potter. The journey is not as light-hearted as the one to your normal vault." Harry chuckled quietly at that. Anyone would say the journey down to his normal vault was enough to make your dinner come back up a few times round. Light-hearted indeed! Harry could have sworn there was a part of the journey there that the cart actually went upside down for some reason.

Despite his amusement, Harry did as he was told and took a firm grip on the provided handrail, bracing himself as they began to move. He always enjoyed the carts. He supposed if he'd ever actually gone to an amusement park with the Dursleys, he would have loved the roller coasters.

"Oh, and Mr. Potter, if you happen to see a Dragon, safety procedure is simply duck." Harry blinked as the wind began whistling in his ears as they picked up speed.

"They're really here?" The goblin chuckled to himself.

"Of course they are Mr. Potter; they are one of our security measures. We specially breed Hungarian Horntails with another dragon, and have 50 of these inbreeds here, guarding the lower vaults. There has very rarely been a need for them, but I pity anyone who attempts to get through them unauthorised." Harry shuddered at the thought.

"What other dragon?"

"I'm afraid I'm not at liberty to say Mr. Potter. That is confidential." Harry shrugged gently to himself, stifling his yell as they suddenly seemed to plunge at 75 degrees. He very quickly made his hold a great deal firmer as his eyes began to water.

The journey down to his vault took an amazing ten minutes, opposed to the normal two. After Harry faced a 90 degrees drop, and what he thought to be several loop-the-loops in a row, he was rather inclined to change his opinions about enjoying the rides. He actually fell to his knees when they finally departed the cart, which seemed to amuse the goblin a great deal to his annoyance. He quickly climbed unsteadily to his feet, and forced his legs by pure will not to turn to jelly, despite how much they were begging to. Instead of giving into their command, he distracted himself and the goblin ran a finger down the side of the door as Griphook had done on his first visit here, and then something else which Harry was unable to see.

"Excuse me, but I still don't know you're name." The goblin turned his head in surprise, and then seemed to take a moment to compose himself.

"My apologies sir. My name is Giphook, though most of my own people call me Gip to stop confusion between my father and myself. I think you have met my father if you remember." Harry smiled a bit at the irony he had just been thinking about him.

"Yes, on my first trip here. Do you mind me calling you Gip?" Giphook stared again for a moment, but then slowly shook his head.

"Of course not sir. It will take just a moment longer to open your vault." Gip turned back to the door and appeared to be stroking some pattern into the door. Harry watched for a moment, and then stopped pretending he could understand what was happening. A minute later the sounds of a very great many locks moving could be heard, and then the vault slowly opened. Harry closed his eyes and prepared himself.

The very first thing he noticed was the size of the vault. It was vastly bigger than his normal one, and appeared to be about the size of the Great Hall. Filling all of this space was more gold than he had ever seen in his life, and ever was likely to see he knew.

The second thing to catch his attention, to his very great embarrassment, was a whole section devoted to lingerie. He had rather thought Gip joking when he had told him but...lord! Some even had cards on them. No doubt numbers or Floo Addresses. He shuddered to think that the people who had sent those had been what? 20 maybe 16 years ago? That would make them 36 at least...he couldn't stop the shudders of disgust.

"Mr. Potter? There is quite a lot to get through, other than the ladies garments." Harry felt himself choke on his blush, which seemed to satisfy Gip who walked laughing to a corner of the vault to consult a piece of parchment.

"I was just surprised I suppose..." Gip glanced over at him.

"I do not lie Mr. Potter. Now, would it please you if I seek out the things that will perhaps mostly benefit you? You could perhaps glance through some of that mail while I do so." Harry nodded vaguely, and then really wished he hadn't. The letters seemed to take up half of the vault, and it was obvious they had a compression spell on them as well. He dreaded to think how many were really there.

After a glance at a busy Gip, Harry sighed and resignedly moved over to the letters, knowing that he was going to embarrass himself a very great deal. Picking up the first conservative looking one he saw - a few had _very_ graphic imagery on - he took his deep preparation breath. The contents amazed him.

_Dear Harry, _

_ I know you will be reading this letter before any others, because I took it upon myself to charm this letter. By the time you have read this, I am certain we will have already met, and hope that you will read my words and take them into very strong consideration. _

_ I have no doubt, that by the time you read this, you will have a very great many letters stored for you. I can imagine the idea of reading all of them has not at all crossed your mind. However, I must strongly impress this upon you. _

_ While you will most likely find the greatest deal of these letters simply filled with gratitude, and no doubt things such as marriage proposals, there are a number which you may find very useful indeed. _

_ I know for a fact, that a close powerful friend of mine has written a letter for you, and has not done so in thanks. You will find that there are letters that offer services, promises of gifts that you will most definitely regret not knowing of. I have had some experience with these sort of letter's before, my dear Harry, and I will say that I am very grateful I was given such advice as this. I of course am not certain how much I will see of you, but will not be surprised in the least instance to see you in my office on more than one occasion at Hogwarts. For the sake of proving my point, one such letter that I speak of gave me instructions were to find my phoenix, Fawkes. I say find, but phoenixes are similar to the wand. They cannot be chosen. I received instructions on where Fawkes was born, and was given the chance to see if I was worthy to have him as my companion. To my everlasting delight, Fawkes chose me, and we have been great friends since. _

_ Whether you are familiar with Fawkes or not, I do hope you take into consideration my warning. I have provided a charmed suitcase, which you will be able to locate with the help of a goblin guide who will accompany you to the vault. Simply open this suitcase and you will find all letters in this vault moved to that suitcase, to review at your leisure. The suitcase of course, will remain the same size and weight. _

_ For now Harry, adue. I will not know when you read this letter, though if anything is true of your resemblance to your father, I guess it will be before your seventeenth birthday, when you will be officially told of this vault, and your family vault. Why then you might ask? I rather thought it'd be nice to let the very delightable interest growth set in on the vaults to give you something to spend and celebrate when you come of age. _

_Until we undoubtedly meet again _

_Albus Dumbledore _

Harry stared at the letter in his hand for a long moment before slowly shaking his head. Dumbledore most definitely turned up at the most unexpected times. To his surprise, he didn't feel as angry as he thought he would do when he found the reason he hadn't been informed of his extra vaults. If the letter was proof of anything, Dumbledore seemed to simply want Harry to enjoy his life. Disappointing it had turned out like it did, but at least he had that interest at heart.

He glanced up at the mountain of letters as he tucked away Dumbledore's letter, and placed it in his pocket. He most definitely was going to read even _this_ amount of mail, if hidden away in its depths was a letter than told him where to find a phoenix. If there was one thing he admired more than most about Dumbledore, it was Fawkes and their relationship.

With that decision made, he quickly looked around for the mentioned suitcase. Almost as if it knew he was looking for it and appeared, he found it right at his feet, where he was sure it wasn't a moment ago. So much for needing Gip to find it for him. He picked it up and looked it over, finding it quite plain, except for two initials - AD. He gave him his own suitcase? Harry smiled a bit, and stored a reminder to write a letter of thanks when he decided to tell everyone about his vaults.

He glanced worriedly at the tower of letters, and then at the suitcase. He had a bad feeling about holding the suitcase open. If it was anything like the summoning charm, the force of that many letters soaring into the suitcase while he was holding it would crush him completely. He carefully undid the clasps, and then put it on the floor again. Inching away, he looked around and finally pulled what looked like a Comet in perfect condition from a pile. Wondering vaguely who he had to thank, he tentatively nudged the suitcase open, and then shrank back, fully expecting pandemonium to strike. To his surprise, and embarrassment though, all that happened was there was a small pop, and the letters were simply gone. There was a small click following, telling him that the suitcase had closed itself, and he began to feel very sheepish. He placed the Comet back down and walked back over to the suitcase, noticing there was now a note on it.

_Dear Harry, _

_ Thank you for taking my advice. Now, after I am sure you are returning from prodding this suitcase open with a broomstick or the sort, I assure you, it is perfectly safe to hold the suitcase while it takes the letters._

Harry snorted, feeling his blush darken. Why couldn't he have said that in the first place!

_ Now, simply open the suitcase at your leisure, and there will be four letters picked at random from the total number. If you read these four, and either dispose or keep them, and close the suitcase, when next opened, there will be four more letters awaiting your attention. _

_ A note to the wise. Many people will have completely forgotten to expect a reply to these letters, and some won't even expect one. I would advise only to reply to those that particularly catch your interest, otherwise you will be there forever. If you cannot stand this, and feel you should reply to everyone as I did, I suggest you charm a written list of all the people you want to thank for the letter, but have no real further reason to say anything to, and then compose a letter that is suitable to send to all of these people. Using the list as the recipients address, you may send the same message to all of those people and save a great deal of time. Though, it may be very tiring for the owls in your area. _

_ I wish you the very best of luck with your letters. If you have any concerns about anything said in the letters, or have anything you would like to ask me, do not hesitate to do so. _

_Albus Dumbledore _

Harry shook his head. Dumbledore really thought ahead too much he decided, although his advice was very welcome. Glancing over and finding Gip still moving about at work, he sat himself down in a rocking chair someone appeared to have sent, and carefully opened the case, deciding he might as well get started. As the note had said, there were four letters awaiting him, thankfully none of the graphic scene ones. He glanced the first one over, before finding nothing remarkable and opening it.

_Harry Potter, _

_ My thanks _

_Hingard Membu_

Harry stared for a moment before smiling. Perhaps this wouldn't be as hard as he thought. He put the letter to one side, the one he decided to not reply to.

_Harry Potter, _

_ You have given us back our light, and have rid us of the dark. When you grow old enough to read this, know that I, and my family will never turn away from you if you are in need. _

_Jonathon Blutsberg_

Harry frowned a bit at this one. Most definitely not what he was expecting. Well...the saving part, he didn't seem to be able to get away from that. The offer of help though...he put that in a new, separate pile before continuing.

_My Dearest Harry, _

_ You've saved us; I'm going to save myself for you. Send me an owl. _

_Jennifer Green_

Harry quickly put that in the ignore pile. Lord he hoped the poor girl didn't really do that...in fact, maybe he should write back and tell her not to bother...a lot more tactfully of course. He didn't want to ruin her life. After a moments though he changed the pile to a replying one.

_Harry, _

_ I'm not a writer, I don't write letters. I get you won't be reading this till your something like seventeen even if you do ever read it. Just want to say thanks mate, and if you ever want a Butterbeer at my pub, it's on the house for the rest of your life. _

_Henry Bowright _

_Thestral Wings Pub Owner _

Harry had absolutely no idea where that pub was, but he decided that it would be a very good idea to keep the letter close. Butterbeer had to be the best drink ever invented. Surprised he had already got through four letters; he closed the suitcase, and after a few moments of waiting, then reopened it, chuckling when he saw four more letters in place. He loved magic.

_Dear Harry, _

_ This is my first letter. My mummy helped me. You are five now, my mummy said. I am four. I like you. You were really brave. Mummy says I might even meet you one day, becas we will both go to Hogwert's. I hope so. I want you to meet Lily. She is my teddy. Mummy says Lily was your mummy's name. I think it is beautiful. Lily is very nice. She thinks you are really brave too. Lily and me want to be brave with you. Mummy tells us stories at bed time. Our fathorite is yours. She tells us how you bet the baddy even though you were smaller than me! She said that you will be our champion, and you will always sav the prinsess. Can Lily and me be your prinsess once please? We would love it so much! Our brothers don't play much with us, they say naughty words and mum sends them away. _

_I hope i write this letter wright. Mummy helped me with the big words but she says she thinks I shuld write it by me. I hope you like it. Lily says hi to. I hope we met and we can play. _

_Love _

_Virginia Weasley _

Not for the first time in his life, Harry didn't know really how to react. He couldn't stop smiling, but he also felt infinitely sad. He doubted very much the Chamber of Secrets had been the sort of game a four year old Ginny had meant. Other than that though, the letter was _so_ sweet. He could almost imagine Mrs. Weasley helping her...though he wasn't too sure he was keen on her bedtime stories. He also felt most honoured he had received her first letter, which considering was very good. He knew he hadn't paid Ginny the attention she deserved over the years, but he knew she was intelligent, if not as obvious as it as Hermione. He knew for a fact she was up to their level in charms, and she was extremely good at Defence Against the Dark Arts despite her age. She had outpaced the fifth years and above quite easily in the DA meetings.

He placed her letter along with Dumbledore's in his pocket. If nothing else, he had great teasing material. He doubted very much somehow that he would use it as such.

He reached for the next letter, but Gip's voice cut through his thoughts.

"Mr. Potter, I have finished." Harry glanced over and smiled.

"It's Harry Gip. What've you found?" Harry slowly moved over to the short goblin, smiling as he saw how excited he seemed to be.

"I was right sir, there are a lot of things here of great worth. I thought though, with the upcoming second war on the rise, Mr. Potter would find use for some of the more...magical items, rather than valuable ones?" Harry nodded.

"Most definitely. I need all the help I can get."

"As I suspected. I have taken the liberty of separating that which you might find useful from everything else." Harry nodded.

"Thank you. Erm...if you could show me?" There was a hint of a smile on Gip's face.

"Of course sir. You'll find you're standing next to the item I felt may interest you most." Harry jumped, and then looked down as prompted.

"It's a trunk." He said flatly. Gip smiled clearly this time.

"Yes, I am aware of that sir. The magical qualities of this trunk are what gave me reason to show it to you."

"Magical qualities? You mean...fireproof?" Gip laughed.

"Well yes, that, among others. You were sent this by a Mr. Unga Satchel, who was the leading expert in trunks and assortments before his death, shortly after the Dark Lord was defeated for the first time. This is stated to be his life's work." Harry felt his cheeks flush again, before he became serious. Someone had left _him_ there life's work, when they didn't even know him.

"Why?" Gip glanced up, surprisingly understanding.

"I believe he thought you may one day need it."

"Need it?" Gip watched him in amusement.

"You should always understand your action before you take it Mr. Potter. Shall I tell you of the qualities of this trunk before you degrade it?" Harry winced.

"Sorry. Go on."

"First and foremost, yes, this trunk _is_ fireproof..." Harry laughed.

"Alright, I'm guilty enough, I get the point!" Gip nodded before gathering himself up in a more business like fashion.

"Other than being fireproof, the trunk is charmed to be a constant weight, that weight depending on how much you can handle easily. It is also damage proof to an extent it has survived every situation the creator was able to think of, and every curse missing only the Unforgivables, which of course, couldn't legally be cast. It also has a built in shrinking and transfiguration charm, which allows it to turn into a ring, which of course in turn, will make it the correct weight of a ring."

"Quite a trunk." Gip glanced at him over his piece of parchment.

"I haven't finished. That is only the outside qualities. Those, along with a built in emergency portkey which can be activated while the trunk is a trunk, or a ring. The portkey can both portkey people, or itself to a set location. It is very secure, using voice recognition, and magical signatures to identify whoever is using it. It also keeps a log of these people; so on the occasion someone does actually manage to get into it without permission, that person will immediately be identified. Apparently _that_ charm is automatically updated at the same time something records magical signatures in the Ministry."

"Alright, _very_ impressive trunk. Is there more?" Gip nodded.

"There is a whole book, but I can give you a summary. While in the form of a ring, the trunks protective qualities can be called upon in a form similar to the Protego Shield Charm, which as said, covers all curses tried. I wouldn't advise testing how stable this shield is though, considering the strength of some particular curses. I believe that is basically it for the outside appearances. Inside the trunk is another matter though."

"Does it have more than one compartment?" Gip nodded.

"Apparently there are an infinite number of compartments, which may be added as when acquired. Each compartment is also subject to an expansion charm that automatically activates to allow whatever amounts you are putting into a compartment to fit. You can place limits on the expansion charm - in fact, it is recommended you do so. The instructions are in the book I mentioned." Harry nodded, knowing he was definitely glad he had listened to Gip now. This would save him an awful lot of trouble.

"Does it have a room in it?" Gip glanced at him.

"That is the one thing this trunk is lacking sir. It appeared the creator rather expected you _not_ to live in it." Harry smiled a bit.

"I think I'll have to study that book in depth."

"Yes. I am sure you will also be happy to note that you can assign self-packing charms to separate compartments, which will obviously be very helpful considering the disorder of today's youth." Harry almost became indignant before he saw the smile playing on Gip's lips as he glanced the parchment over again. He wondered how rare it was to find a goblin who would actually speak so easily on such a level with a human. He couldn't see it being at all a common occurrence.

"As impressive as you have mentioned Gip the trunk is, I think we should move onto the other items before we run out of daylight." True, Harry had almost spent forty minutes in his vault, and with a further ten in the entrance, it was quickly coming up to an hour he had been in Gringotts. He had rather hoped he would have been finished with the entire alley by that time.

"Of course. Another item that may catch your interest is in the red box to your right. It is a wand-holder, which only allows the wand to be drawn by yourself, and is resistant to summoning and disarming charms. You should also note that it is worn on the forearm, and once mastered, will become both invisible and lose solid state - as in it will not be felt if you are checked for a wand-holder - at a single thought. It also allows extremely fast draws at a thought, which I would most strongly advise you to practice at, as it could be a very grate advantage in a duel." Harry's interest was definitely caught as he carefully opened the surprisingly plain box, to find what appeared to be a dragon skin wand-holder. Other than its material, nothing looked particularly special about it. After examining it for a moment, he drew back his sleeve and then clumsily strapped it onto his forearm with the provided straps, glad when he found it magically adjusted for his rather skinny attributes. Testing his arm reflex and finding it only slightly weird, he smiled and replaced the lid to the box, finding that Gip had already opened his trunk for him. He gave a smile of gratitude as he placed the box within, and then the suitcase, before drawing back and glancing down at the wand-holder. He stared at it for a moment, and then it slowly faded out of view. Letting out a small breath of effort, he watched as it completely disappeared and smiled, deciding to keep his wand somewhere he could reach it with much more confidence for the moment.

"What else do you have for me Gip?" Gip, who had been watching his performance with the holder, smiled and nodded behind where the holder box had just been.

"In the parcel, I believe you will find a watch. This watch has a built in shield charm as the trunk, which is pressure activated. It also has a multiple portkey function, which is extremely rare, and only masters of the field create these. There is a possibility of twelve destinations. The portkeys are activated by voice command and touch, and I would suggest you use a codename for a specific location, other than risking a chance of being followed. Other than that, it tells the time, has a powerful light charm, and an advanced, if not miniature version of a Foe Glass. If an enemy who means to kill you, not simply harm you, comes into the same 50 metre radius of you, then the watch will heat your wrist to warn you. There are some lesser other functions as well, which you can explore at your own leisure. I will put the instruction manual with the book." Harry nodded as he unwrapped the parcel, surprised to find what appeared to be a simple golden watch. He looked it over for a long time, but couldn't find any signs of magic. With more than a bit of confusion he slipped it on, vowing to himself to read these instruction manuals. As Gip said, these items seemed very useful in the least.

"These will most definitely come in useful, thank you Gip." Gip nodded and glanced around for a moment.

"You will notice a wand case to your left. This wand was anomalously given, and was meant to be a spare for you. The only statement taken was that the last of a family line wished to pass it on before his natural death, which occurred the same day he deposited this. I would suggest that you put this wand in your holder, so that you have a back up." Harry nodded his agreement, carefully taking the wand from its box. It was simple enough, in fact, plainer than most wands. Simple black wood. Despite his appearance though, upon contact he felt a familiar surge that told him that the wand would perform admirably should he ever find himself in need of it. With a few moments of hard thought, he managed to make his wand-holder visible enough to deposit the wand in it, and then quickly disappear. To his surprise he could still feel the gentle warmth the power of the wand gave off against his forearm, even if he couldn't see it.

"I seem to have a great many people leaving me legacies." Gip nodded.

"Understandably, the wizarding community named you their champion before you could walk. It is only fitting that they armed their champion with the best," Harry felt his embarrassment, coupled with his anger, rising again, but Gip luckily didn't give him chance to rise.

"Now behind _that_ box there, you will find some battle robes that are charmed to remain light, repel most light hexes and curses, and that are self cleaning and airing. They will not tear, and do not stain. Their design is changeable with a thought for covert work, so you can have them as your Hogwarts robes if you so wish. They can also only be removed by yourself, or someone you trust implacably. One suspicion about that person will make sure that they will not be able to remove the clothing. Oh, and no one can remove anything from the pockets either under the same guidelines." Harry stared at into the bag were the pure white robes were lying completely inconspicuously. Why on earth didn't they sell things like this in the shops? They'd make an absolute fortune!

"You have also been given a pouch that gives a never-ending supply of any sandwich of your choice, and water. That is just behind you. As with the robes, that has a note from the depositor you will want to take into consideration. Beyond that, there is an earring in the form of a baby dragon fang which allows you to hear what a person is saying should you focus on them, even if they are only just in your range of sight. If you hand them to me I will place them in your trunk for your further review. The last items I thought you might find interesting are a wealth of books that have been sent to you, dealing with all subjects ranging from Defence Against Dark Arts, to household cleaning charms. I believe you have your own small library Mr. Potter. All the books are scattered about, but I have taken the liberty of reading through your trunk manual, and have found if you simply tap your wand on your open trunk and say 'Pack Books', then all the books in this room will become automatically packed. Of course, to automatically pack on other occasions, you will have to be much more specific on what you mean to pack; otherwise all books in the room, not just yours, will be packed." Harry felt he was almost working on autopilot as Gip led him to his trunk and put in the stated items before prompting him to draw his wand. An earring...Mrs. Weasley was going to love that. He'd always liked Bill's earring, but he'd never actually considered getting one himself. The magical quality though was something he didn't want to miss out on. He'd have to study it in more depth.

_"Pack Books!"_ There were loud popping noises throughout the vault, and to his relief, Harry saw the number of books Apparating, or so it appeared, straight into his trunk, and a great number that was as well. Gip certainly hadn't been joking when he mentioned that he would have his own personally library. It didn't look like that trip to Flourish & Blotts would be necessary after all.

"Wait a moment. Would there be books that might be helpful in my family vault? I can imagine a great deal of rare ones there." Gip paused for a moment in closing the trunk.

"Yes, there are a number of books there sir."

"Would it be possible to collect those as well?" Gip hesitated for a moment before nodding.

"If you would permit, I could quickly take your trunk and pack your books for you from that vault. I think perhaps it would be better for you to wait another time to visit your family vault. It is rather...overwhelming in concerns to this one." Harry glanced around this vault and then nodded, understanding that he would most likely be in for a very great shock when he went to his family vault.

"Alright. Can I browse around here while I wait for your return?"

"Of course sir. I won't be long. "

"Harry Gip, remember? I'm just Harry." Gip smiled and nodded, before with a sharp click of his fingers, hurrying out towards the cart, with his trunk floating along behind him. Harry watched until he heard the familiar sound of the cart in motion, and then immediately headed over to what had caught his eye. Without hesitation he placed the tatty blue cap he had bough on the floor, and swung the black cloak around him, pulling up the hood. As he had suspected, as he turned to look in a provided long mirror, there were concealment charms for beneath the hood. He smiled to himself and closed the cloak around him, affectively cutting out any chance of anyone recognizing him at all. He was a bit concerned about his appearance being similar to a Death Eater, minus the mask of course, and the fact that his hood was larger. In fact, it had more a resemblance to a Dementor in truth. That thought really did make him shudder.

Deciding the pros of the cloak outweighed the cons, he glanced around, overlooking the massive luxurious four poster bed and other furniture with a bit of amusement, before settling his gaze on a portrait. The stunning women it was portraying was watching him carefully, her light blue eyes piercing him to such an extent he was sure no amount of concealment charms could hide his appearance from her. Long blond hair fell in lavish curls around her, and that, coupled with the simple white dress she was wearing, gave him the impression he was looking at someone who had lived a long, long time ago. Her whole image spoke of nature and power that was unlike anything he had seen even in the depths of Hogwarts.

"Hello?" The woman's eyes twinkled for a moment in a manner very reminiscent of Dumbledore. Slowly she moved, uncurling it appear, though she did not move forwards or backwards. In fact, the action seemed to involvement very little movement. Still though, he had the impression if she was sat on a chair, she would have sat forwards.

"You see me, Harry Potter?" Harry was about to ask how she knew he was before he caught himself. Even though his 'fame' was widespread, he didn't think portraits knew of him in the manner.

"Yes. Shouldn't I?" A beautiful smile light up the portrait as the women leaned forward, her eyes dancing over him.

"It is normally a case of whether you are able. My previous owners were unable to see me. They were a poor family, and so deposited me thinking me simply a pretty picture frame here." Harry noted with some interest she didn't have any venom in her voice when she spoke of that. He could only imagine how he would feel being pushed to aside as if he had no worth other than face value. That seemed painfully too familiar actually.

"Why couldn't they see you?" The women smiled kindly at him.

"Only a select few wizards and witches can see my portrait. You may have noticed that a great deal of portraits are constantly asleep? Well, I was drawn with a counter charm to this. As years pass I will not fall asleep, but as payment for this, I am only recognized by few." Harry nodded, remembering Hermione rambling on in their first year about how portraits gradually fell into an eternal sleep due to their age. It normally took a few hundred years, or was it thousand? He couldn't really remember, but a good deal of the older portraits in the castle very rarely showed any signs of life other than an occasional snore.

"How can I see you then if others can't?"

"There are a number of possibilities. One, you may be a descendant of mine. Two, your magical power is great enough to overcome the charms subconsciously. Three, you have a counter-charm placed upon you allowing you to see me. Finally, you could be descended from someone who was put under the counter-charm, and the magic has stayed in you. Those are the reasons that were decided in my day. Whether or not you have more in this time, I do not know." Harry frowned gently. He knew the Potter's were a very old and very powerful family, so it was a strong possibility someone along the line had been placed under this counter-charm.

"You do not appear to be one of my descendants; there is no physical similarity at all that I can see. I would think it would be the second option, due to your defeat of Tom Riddle in your younger years."

"Tom Riddle? You know his real name?" The lady looked rather disgusted for a moment.

"Yes, I know his birth name. I also happen to know his other alias. He thought himself to great to remain named after a simple muggle." Now Harry was really beginning to be surprised. He knew that very few people were aware of Voldemort's background.

"How did you know he had a muggle father?" The lady let out a soft sigh.

"My last family was poor, but very well informed. Other than that, I am sure you are aware that many of us are not restricted to our own frames? While I unfortunately have been locked in here for just short of fifteen years, I rarely stay. I have only one other portrait but that is situated in a much better position than this, and I am able to move into neighbouring portraits there."

"Where is your other portrait?" The lady looked him over for a long moment.

" Hogwarts Castle of Witchcraft and Wizardry." Harry looked at her sharply.

"I've never seen you there before." The women sighed.

"The room I am in hasn't been visited in very many years." He frowned a bit at that, but the noise of a returning cart struck through his thoughts.

"Can Gip see you?" The women shook her head, watching him again.

"Are you going to take me away from here?" Harry chewed on his lip for a moment.

"I suppose you'll be able to fit in the trunk..."

"I have all of your books sir. There were an even greater number in your family vault. I see you have found other things to your liking as well?" Harry nodded, pulling his eyes away from the portrait. When he glanced back, the woman was gone.

"Yeah...can I take this portrait as well please?"

"Of course sir, I will put it in the trunk for you." With some quick snaps of fingers, Harry found his object of attention soaring into the trunk. Shaking himself almost out of a daze, he glanced around quickly, knowing he would be leaving very soon.

"I don't suppose there would be any potions supplies? It looks like everything I came to Diagon Alley for I already have except those...oh, and something to disguise Hedwig with if that's possible...have to check with Eeylops Owl..."

"I believe you will find that your watch has a mechanism similar to that of Fire Talking, only you will not have a fire, only a projection of the person you are speaking to. I believe you would appear in the fireplace of whomever you are talking to...but I am not sure. That is new technology. You will have to read the instruction manual." Harry nodded.

"I will do. Have you noted any potion materials while you were looking around?" Gip moved over to the wealth of parchments he had gathered before.

"Yes sir, there are a few items relating to potions...what specifically are you looking for?" Harry hesitated for a small moment, wondering himself.

"I'll be looking into making some potions for my own personal use, some that most likely won't be taught in school." Gip glanced at the list again.

"Then I would suggest the full cauldron set provided by a Mr. Teaspoon, which is in a pure silver suitcase, and there is a trunk somewhere marked HPA, for Harry Potter's Apothecary, in which the entire contents of an Apothecary were emptied into. Is that to you liking?" Harry nodded a bit weakly. All of this and he hadn't even spent any money yet, and it didn't look like he would need to at all now.

"Yes thanks. If I look for the suitcase, and you look for the trunk? You have a sharper eye than I do." Gip nodded and immediately moved in search of the trunk, while Harry chuckled quietly to himself and reached for the silver suitcase which had evidently been hidden behind the portrait of the lovely lady he had just put in his trunk. He placed it into the trunk and then set of to help Gip, finding though he had little need of assistance. He moved the trunk over, and placed it beside his own, looking between the two.

"Perhaps it would be better if you shrank this trunk before putting it into your trunk." Harry glanced at him for a long moment.

"I'm not allowed to do magic outside of school..."

"Magic cannot be recorded in Gringotts Harry, the Ministry will not hear of it." Harry chewed on his lower lip for a moment before nodding and drawing his wand. With a quick flick, and plenty of concentration, the trunk was soon palm-sized and stored away.

"Very good. Is there anything else you can see that you might want, or are we done for the day?" Harry looked slowly around, trying to look past the elegant and elaborate furniture and simple packages. He raced through what he had planned on buying for the day and then finally shrugged gently.

"I can't really think of anything. Anymore suggestions?" Gip glanced around himself for a long moment.

"None come to mind. Do you still wish to purchase our gold pouch? Consequently, since you live with Muggles, you may also draw out different types of Muggle currency - the order will automatically convert your gold into the requested amount." Harry smiled.

"That would be very useful and oh...are their stationary supplies here by any chance? I would rather like to simply head straight back now I seem to have everything I came for." Gip smiled.

"There are numerous stationary supplies. There are normal ones, exotic quills and the such, and enchanted inks. There are also pairs of enchanted parchments that allow a message to be written on one piece, and that message will immediately appear on the second piece. Simple in itself, but a very complex charm so the cost of such communication is very high - you mentioned a need for more privacy?" Harry chuckled.

"You're fulfilling all my needs Gip. How many pairs of that parchment are there?" Gip opened a suitcase to his right and ruffled through.

"Ten pairs sir, along with instructions." Harry smiled.

"Right then, with those as well that'll be everything wrapped up. Would you mind if I Owled you in future about any...questions I might have about my accounts or such? It is much easier than coming all the way to London . Any advice you could give me as well would be greatly appreciated." Gip frowned a bit.

"It is frowned upon by my superiors..."

"How about if I pay you to personally oversee my vaults?" Gip's eyes widened.

"That...that would appease them si...Harry." Harry smiled at his surprise.

"Well then, take ten percent more than the customary wage you would get for working in Gringotts, and there we are."

"Are you sure...Harry? It would be a great honour..." Harry groaned quietly. He rather thought Gip was more independent than Dobby.

"I'm sure Gip; you've made a very good impression on me once you lightened up a bit. Your help has saved me a great deal of trouble." Gip smiled and looked at the floor, apparently shy all of a sudden.

"Thank you Harry."

"You're more than welcome. Now, how do I turn this trunk into a ring?" Gip glanced at his sheets of parchment.

"Simply place your hand on it and say '_Dominia Regal_'...I believe it is a password of a sort. To turn it back, '_Dominia Regalius_'." Harry mouthed the words to himself enough times to ensure that he could remember them, and then followed his given instructions, rather pleased with himself when he felt the plain golden ring's weight in his hand, just heavy enough to account as a man's ring. He slipped it on his finger, feeling it magically adjust to fit him, and then drew his robes around him again.

"Thanks Gip. Shall we get going?" Gip nodded and slowly led the way out of the vault. As they were climbing into the cart, he paused though.

"Just in case you're interested, that cloak can't be removed without your permission either, the same as your robes. It also has many of the same qualities, and the strongest concealment charms in creation. Oh yes...and I do believe that it has a camouflage ability in relation to shadows - you appear to become the shadow itself and so disappear in a sense." Harry glanced at the cloak with renewed interest. He had an idea he couldn't have found himself better prepared against the up and coming war if he had spent all the gold in that vault.

"I'm very glad you told me about this vault. Make that fifteen percent greater than the customary wage actually. Is that alright with you?" He noted with amusement that Gip was trying very unsuccessfully to hide a massive grin.

"Most certainly Harry. I am very thankful. Many of my colleagues will be most jealous." Harry laughed as they began to move, remembering to secure himself for the eventful ride back.

"Keep up the good work and I'll increase it to twenty before this time next year." He saw Gip's face shine, and had to wonder for a moment just how much gold he was giving away. He hardly cared considering the amounts he had, but it made him wonder just how much the goblins earned that worked at the bank. Pushing the thought aside as it might offend Gip, he settled down and braced himself as they began a _very_ steep climb.


	4. Chapter Four

**Chapter Four**

Some twenty minutes later Harry walked out of Gringotts 300 galleons less, placing his money pouch into his cloak pocket, while pulling his cloak tighter around him with his other hand. Looking out to the Alley some hour or so more than when he had entered it, he was somewhat relieved to find it filled with much more life than it had been when he had came.

Very glad of his new cloak, he quickly moved through the crowds gathered, slightly disturbed at how much a large breadth people gave him when they saw him coming. While the threat of the Dark Lord hadn't apparently scared them away from the Alley, it was obvious that everyone was more than a little cautious. He was slightly familiar with the looks he was getting, but found these very sharp injuries to his mind. He had thought he had managed to change public opinion he was a deranged dangerous...it was only then that he realized that no one could tell it was actually him. That relaxed him somewhat of course, but he didn't like the way everyone was suddenly fingering their wands around him.

Thankfully, his walk through the Alley was very short, as he didn't have any reason to stop at any of the stores now. Without pause, he quickly moved through the archway, and then through the Leaky Cauldron, where his appearance only caused a brief murmur of interest before everyone turned back to their conversations. After checking that Tom was otherwise preoccupied, he silently slipped out into Muggle London, finding it rather quiet. He let out a small breath of relief realizing that his plan had gone well, and then began walking, intent on getting to a quiet deserted street and getting the heck out of there. Now that he was back in the open, despite how many charms he might have on him, he was much too aware that he was wearing robes in a Muggle area.

"Oi! You there, stop right where you are." Harry slowed his step for a moment, but after noticing a man jogging past him continued, waiting to see his pursuers. To his surprise though, as he turned onto an alley, he heard the footsteps following him.

"I said hold it there!" Harry slowly glanced over his shoulder and saw a man and a woman, very notably in scarlet Auror robes. He swore quietly to himself, very aware of the fact he couldn't be identified, or else he'd be in a world of trouble. He quickly ran over his options, and decided to keep walking. Hopefully getting to the other end of the alley and the main street would put them off...

"I said stop there! Ministry Aurors! Comply or be arrested!" Harry nibbled his lip, getting very nervous. The end of the Alley was still a very long way away, and he couldn't use magic without alerting the Ministry to where he was...it'd be just easy to say here I am, take me in. Knowing he had little option, he slowed to a stop and quickly began racing through his chances as he turned around.

"Right, now please lower your hood." Harry paused, remembering what Gip had said. No one could take his hood off without his willing permission. Trying to reassure himself with that reminder, he ignored the command and looked the man over, discomforted to see he was very big, and very rough looking. Sharp brown eyes and a crew cut of black hair gave him the impression that this man was not someone to mess with. The woman however...she looked strangely..._Tonks!_

Harry almost shouted out her name, but at the last moment caught himself. He wasn't even meant to know her, doing so would both reveal him, and reveal her participation in the Order. He knew though, if only he could get rid of the man she could help him. She was one of the more laidback Order members, almost like Lupin and Arthur, albeit her own peculiar manner. He ignored the cold and calculated look he was getting off of her at the moment, and the fact her wand was pointed straight at him.

"I said lower the hood! We will not hesitate to use force..." Harry ignored him, his mind racing with possibilities of how to knock him out. He was a fully trained Auror, and looked a powerful one at that. Glancing around him only gave him the option of a few trash cans and litter. Hmm...perhaps a _Wingardium Leviosa_? Worked on a troll so...

He reached into his cloak pocket for his wand but to his frustration, the immediate response were two disarming charms, sending his wand, not soaring through the air to his surprise, but simply clattering to his feet. He felt a bit smug when he realized that he hadn't really even felt the impact of the two curses other than a hard brush of wind - his cloak must have absorbed them, along with the rest of his items. He heard a few choice swear words in reaction to that.

_"Accio wand!"_ He sighed as his wand flew to Tonks, just remembering he would have been identified immediately if he'd used it. So much for that plan. Eying them both, he wandered vaguely about his other wand. Surely they wouldn't suspect him using a wand that wasn't his, just outside of Diagon Alley? There was plenty of magic used in this area, and he most definitely didn't appear as he normally did at the moment.

"Now, for the last time, lower the damn hood!" Harry slowly glanced at Tonks, noting with a small bit of pride she never took her eyes off of him. With a smell feigned nod, he began to slowly lift his hand, praying that it'd work.

Just as his hand became level with the male Auror, he focused all of his thoughts on his hidden wand. Immediately he felt a surge of warmth running up his arm, and instinctively closed his hand, catching the wand. Without a second's hesitation he roared a stunner at the Auror, watching in satisfaction as the red beam hit its target and pushed him violently into a group of trash cans. He was much _too_ rude for his liking.

He saw a red light envelope him, and stumbled back a bit as he felt a power wave passing over him. Silently cursing himself for forgetting about Tonks, he quickly put up a shield charm.

"Tonks stop!" Tonks paused, surprise evident in her face, but as quickly as the gap had opened, she closed it with a stunner. Harry quickly sidestepped it.

_"Petrificus Totalus!"_ He heard a muffled yell and let out a sigh of relief when he saw Tonks freeze in place, and then keel into the wall. He quickly glanced around, making sure the other Auror was out, and that there weren't any reinforcements. After he was satisfied, he quickly made he was over, hoping that he'd have time before any else turned up to talk to her.

"Tonks, I'm going to release you okay, as long as you stop cursing me. Loud mouth didn't give me many options, and you know I'm not supposed to know you." He saw Tonks eyes widen a great deal, and taking that as a positive sign, cast the counter-curse, only to find her wand immediately in his face.

"Who are you?" She demanded. Harry blinked in surprise.

"It's me, Harry." Tonks didn't budge.

"I don't know a Harry." Harry groaned quietly.

"Harry, Harry Potter?" Tonks wand sparked with power.

"You don't sound anything like him." Harry stared at her for a long moment, shocked completely by the conviction behind her voice. Then, shaking his head, he pointedly left his wand pointing at the ground while reaching up and pulling back his hood. It was almost amusing to see how much Tonks's eyes widened.

"Blimey...hang on a sec, you could be Polyjuiced." Harry groaned again, really wanting her wand out of his face.

"You were part of my guard on the way to Headquarters." Tonks blinked, and then slowly lowered her wand, staring at him.

"What…_what the hell are you doing here!_" Harry winced at her angry hiss, backing up with his hands raised.

"Tonks, give me a chance..."

"Do you have any idea how much trouble you could have got in! There's been Death Eater sightings all over this place, and god we nearly arrested you as one! Oh Dumbledore's going to..."

"Tonks!" Tonks stopped her angry mutterings and stared at him for another moment, before seemingly remembering herself.

"What the bloody hell are you wearing anyhow? Where'd you get that? Why've you got two wands? That's illegal except for Aurors! And you stunned Levi! Oh god..." Harry sighed and summoned his wand, placing his spare back into its holster.

"Look, I don't have time for this. The Ministry's probably going to come swarming in here in a second and..."

"No, that's the problem. They can't detect magic here because of the interference from Diagon Alley, that's why we were patrolling...they might be able to track your wand though..." Harry let out a breath of pure relief.

"Oh good, I didn't stun him with my wand." Tonks glanced at Levi and winced.

"Mean stunner...how come my curses didn't work against you? And even that dual Expelliarmus only made you reel a bit..." Harry grinned.

"My cloak...and a few other things - curse resistant."

"Blimey, they're right expensive, Auror department can't afford 'em for us...hey, and you've got a voice distortion charm on it as well! Cool! No wonder I didn't recognize you!" Harry glanced down at his cloak and laughed.

"I'm really glad I picked this up now." Tonks suddenly turned serious.

"You picked it up off of the street?" Harry shook his head.

"No, I got it from one of my vaults...got a lot of things from my vault actually. It was one the Ministry set up - people sent me loads of useful stuff." Tonks looked him over again.

"I bet. Now young man, what the bloody hell do you think you're doing here? You're meant to be at Privet Drive until Dumbledore tells you otherwise!" Harry shuffled uncomfortably.

"Dumbledore would keep me there indefinitely if it was up to him. He's not my guardian, he can't tell me what or what not to do during the summer. It's my choice if I accept his ground rules or not. I wanted some books for studying, so I came to get them. I wouldn't have had a problem at all if you two hadn't shown up. All I had to do was summon the Knight Bus and get back." Tonks scowled at him.

"Dumbledore is a lot wiser than..."

"Yeah, I get he's wise and powerful, but he's my headmaster, not my guardian. Outside of school he has no power over me. I'll be damned if I let him tell me I can't go out of the house without a bloody guard! If I wanted to, I could have put you down with what's his name? Levi? A few Death Eaters don't scare me. Anyway, this is one-time trip. I've got what I needed, I'll promise to be a good boy and stay in my room all summer now." Tonks growled in frustration, but it was obvious she couldn't think of anything to say. Finally she settled on glancing worriedly at Levi.

"How the hell am I going to explain this!" Harry stared at her for a moment.

"Pretty simple isn't it? Unknown wizard, resisted arrest, stunned Auror, and then I'll either have to stun you before I leave, or you gave chase and lost me."

"That's...sly. Are you sure you didn't use your wand though? They'll check for the magical signature..."

"I'm definite it's not mine. For that fact I don't really know whose it is, other than the last of a magical line left it to me. Whoever it can be traced to is dead." Tonks scrutinized him for a long moment before growling.

"God Harry! Dumbledore's going to blow..."

"Dumbledore doesn't need to know." Tonks stopped still in her sentence.

"What?" Harry let out a breath.

"Why exactly, does Dumbledore need to know? I'll be back at Privet Drive in less than an hour, no harm done..."

"No harm done! The amount of people who will have recognized..."

"Only two people know I was here today, and I trust both of them to keep it secret."

"But..." Harry watched her carefully.

"One's a goblin, who has absolutely nothing to gain, and has pretty much been paid to keep quiet. The other person I know, and trust." Tonks eyed him for a long moment.

"You want me to cover up for you?" Harry chewed on his lip.

"I'd rather not let this get back to Mrs. Weasley and upset her, no. Dumbledore will just tell me to keep to my room, so what's new?" She seemed to watch him for a long time before letting out a long breath.

"How long do your stunners last?" Harry frowned.

"Erm...I've never...in practice I always wake them up immediately. Not sure about without a counter." Tonks looked Levi other.

"Well, I think he'll be out for the count for a bit. The important thing is to get you back to Privet Drive . I'll Apparate us there and then say I chased you until you disappeared."

"Apparate _us_?" Tonks sighed.

"Yeah. Going to bloody wear me out doing it, but I suppose I should be worn out anyhow from chasing you..."

"You can double Apparate?" Tonks glanced at him in amusement.

"Sure, it's a requirement for an Auror to be able to manage at least one double Apparition in case we have to take someone into custody, or there's an injured Auror or whatever. Takes a hell of a lot of power though, really draining. I'm going to be dead for the count by the end of today, I swear." Harry blushed, feeling guilt rise up in him.

"I can just stun you and catch the..."

"No, cause then the Ministry will be able to check the Knight Bus records and track you...come here; you need to be touching me to Apparate. Oh and by the way, the landing isn't nice at all." Harry was about to ask her what he meant when he felt a sickening jolt run through him. For a second his whole world span uncontrollably, and then he landed with a loud thud, very painfully, on his bedroom floor. Hearing the familiar roar of 'BOY!' from his Uncle Vernon, he presumed he was home. He quickly scurried to his feet as he heard pounding on the stairs, noticing Tonks looking a good deal weaker than before. She gave him a half angry look, half amused one.

"I'll be back tonight to talk to you. I won't tell Dumbledore just yet, but if you leave this house..." She left the words trailing as she disappeared with a crack, just as his uncle threw the door open, his face livid.

"JUST WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING BOY? BANGING AROUND LIKE SOME...What the hell do you think you're wearing!" Harry looked down and sighed, carefully pulling his robe off.

"Nothing Uncle Vernon. Sorry about the noise, I tripped up." His uncle eyed his robe with distain as he draped it over his desk chair before turning back to him.

"You'll be sorry boy. I don't care what your freak friends say, I'm not putting up with your impertinence in this house! You will behave and stay out of my way!" Harry grunted angrily, turning and making his way to the window. There were some dark mutterings before his door slammed shut, and he allowed himself to relax. He really hoped he hadn't got Tonks into trouble. Perhaps it would have been better if he had just revealed himself...or maybe even asked her to do a memory charm on that Levi...

A bang from downstairs brought him back to his senses. With a soft sigh he sat down on his bed and slipped his ring off, deciding now was a good time to start learning as any. Unsure what to do, he had an idea he wasn't supposed to just hold the ring and speak the incantation - that would bring the trunk back in midair. After some deliberating though, he placed the ring in the middle of the floor, took a few steps back, and then took a breath, summoning his concentration.

_"Dominia Regalius!"_ There was a loud pop, and he saw contently his trunk looked perfectly normal. It took him a few moments to figure out how to open it, but when he did, he went immediately for the instruction manuals for his various items and began studying. The hours later he finished with them were spent recording on a piece of parchment his book collection, noting with satisfaction that there were a great many on subjects he'd wanted, and some he hadn't even heard of which looked most interesting. He sorted the most necessary and interesting looking ones to a side while opening a new compartment which would act as his library he decided. He organized the trunk in such a manner, creating different sections for school, personal items like his Invisibility cloak, and then the letters. To his disappointment he realized he couldn't un-shrink his potion ingredients, but that was short lived when he remembered Tonks would be coming later, which meant she could do it for him. After sorting his trunk out, he changed into his newly acquired robes and gear, and after referring to the instruction manual 19 times, and two hours of hard work, managed to get the outfit to change itself into normal muggle clothing by just intense concentration.

As the sun began to set outside, Harry finished reading up on the different functions of his watch, and placed that instruction book back into the trunk, having finished after hours of work setting up the correct functions...he hoped. His mind was rather boggled by all the weird symbols and enchantments mentioned, but he thought he had done it right. He was also very thankful for his refilling sandwich bag, as it allowed him to avoid going down to dinner while he worked. As such, nearly nine hours after his return, he was weakly confident he had grasped an understanding of all the items he had taken from his vault. The only thing he hadn't worked on was the portrait, and that was simply because he felt too tired to attempt to have the conversation he planned with the painting.

It was half an hour later, when Harry was just beginning to drift to sleep, that a loud crack snapped him back into normal time. His wand was in his hand and pointing at the direction the noise had come from, ready to curse before a chuckle came and the light was switched on.

"Wotcha Harry. No need to greet me like that, I just saved your rocker." Harry sheepishly placed his wand back on his bedside table, sitting up as Tonks sat down on the end of his bed, glancing around with a tired light in her eyes.

"Sorry. I wasn't expecting you so late." Tonks yawned widely before shuffling and moving so she was sitting cross-legged opposite him. He noted she'd changed to muggle jeans and a blouse.

"Stupid Ministry were a bit annoyed I let some big bad wizard get away. They're in a hype cause he managed to stun Levi and it took six wizards to wake him up. Seem to think we let You-Know-Who get away or something." Harry flushed, coughing awkwardly.

"Sorry." Tonks grinned at him.

"Nah, Levi's always been a pompous prat. Least now he knows he ain't top on the block. I'm the junior you see on the Auror team, and it speaks loads he was the one down for the count while I gave chase." Harry grinned weakly.

"You didn't get into trouble?" Tonks smiled kindly at him.

"Nah. They reckoned any wizard strong enough to knock Levi down like that would have got away never mind who were chasing him. Levi's one of our top Aurors. Told you, one hell of a mean stunner you gave him." Harry shuffled uncomfortably.

"Well I didn't really have much choice; I didn't think it would be a good idea to get arrested." Tonks chuckled before glancing him up and down and frowning a bit.

"Hey, why don't you wear stuff like that more often? You always seem to be wearing clothes that hang off of you?" He blushed, glancing at the wall that hide Dudley 's room.

" Dudley 's cast offs. I only got these today - they're robes really, but they're charmed to take the shape of what you want them to...here." He scrunched up his face in concentration, and after a few moments felt the guise give way and return to the normal white robes. Tonks stared for a long moment before he changed them back to muggle clothes, which took considerable more effort.

"Blimey, I've never seen anything like that before."

"A lot of people seemed to have denoted their life's work to me. Some of the stuff I have isn't even on the market." Tonks nodded, looking properly impressed.

"I'd say so too, that's dead useful that." Harry nodded happily.

"Yeah, thought so too." There was a small silence in which Tonks seemed to find her line of thought again.

"So young Harry, why were you at Diagon?" Harry stifled a yawn.

"I wanted some books to study from. I'm not exactly going to survive the life I led with what I learn at school am I?" Tonks winced at that.

"Well no, I suppose not, but you could have always asked Dumbledore to get them for you." Harry felt his anger flare but suppressed it quickly. It wouldn't do to be angry at Tonks.

"I had an idea he wouldn't approve of some of the books, and anyway, I wanted pretty much what I got from my vault - some things more useful for the war." She watched him closely for a moment.

"Like what?" Harry shrugged.

"Well, you saw my cloak. I've also got a spare wand, a wand-holder, an amazing magical trunk, and a watch that does more things than I can comprehend."

"Sounds like you were busy." Harry smiled a bit.

"I had help picking the things out."

"Help?"

"Goblin friend."

"Goblin _friend_?" Harry nodded, narrowing his eyes a bit. There was absolutely nothing wrong with Gip. Tonks saw his look and immediately apologised.

"It's just you don't hear of that kind of thing. Goblin's don't normally like us at all, and we're not too keen on them either really." Harry nodded.

"I thought that might be it. No, this goblin was very helpful."

"Yeah, we were trailing you from Gringotts, waiting for you to get somewhere less occupied." Harry shuffled again.

"Didn't really expect Aurors to be about like that." Tonks laughed a bit.

"I didn't either. Fudge ordered us out though - I reckon he wants us out there in the public eye so people think he's actually doing something about You-Know-Who." Harry glared at his bed for a moment before he managed to overcome Fudges idiocy.

"He's the worst Minister we could possibly have." Tonks nodded.

"Not arguing there Harry, he's a blind git. You got anything to eat?" He glanced at her in amusement before reaching for his sandwich pouch and passing her some. She grinned and immediately began eating.

"Another donation?" Harry nodded, stifling another yawn before glancing at his trunk. He was just about to ask her to un-shrink his potion supply trunk before he paused.

"Hey Tonks? How come you used magic here last summer and I didn't get an owl for it?" Tonks blinked and stared at him for a moment.

"Cause I did it, you didn't." He frowned.

"But when Dobby used magic before my second year, I got the warning." Tonks smiled suddenly.

"Oh, that's because house elves weren't meant to be here, so the Ministry monitors counted it as unidentified magic, and since you're the only wizard living here the alarms went off. When I did it last summer, they picked up my wand signature, and cause I'm of age, the alarms didn't go off. Get it?" Harry thought for a moment.

"So if I use my other wand, I won't get warnings?" Tonks chewed on her sandwich for a moment. Almost unconsciously Harry pulled out a goblet of water for her.

"Tah. You get a warning earlier? Depends if the guy who had that wand before you was of age or not."

"Nope, no warning, and I think he was, since he died of natural causes." Tonks watched him for a long moment as she gulped down her drink.

"Then I suppose you could do magic without getting the alarms off, but I wouldn't recommend taking the chance. You don't want to end up with at a trial again do you?" Harry sighed and shook his head.

"No. Could you un-shrink that trunk for me then please?" Tonks nodded and did so with painful ease. Harry smiled his thanks and leaned back.

"So you're not going to tell Dumbledore?" Tonks chuckled for a moment.

"I suppose we can let it slip since you got back safe and sound without being swamped by DE's." Harry smiled tiredly at her.

"Thanks Tonks." Tonks shrugged a bit.

"I was young not so very long ago too you know, I'm still a junior." He grinned a bit before glancing at his trunk, running through an idea that he had been contemplated ever since he saw the use of some of his books. Telling Tonks though was a certifiable risk.

"Tonks? How much can I say to you without it going back to Dumbledore and the Order?" Tonks didn't like the sound of that.

"I don't know Harry, depends on your safety. Tell me you're going to top yourself and I'm pretty sure I'll have to report back." He watched her nervously for a few moments, contemplating what he was planning on doing.

"Well, it's more like an idea...I'm not actually going to do it anytime soon." Tonks was definitely on guard.

"I don't like the sound of that." Harry smiled weakly.

"As long as I don't actually do it, can you not tell Dumbledore? It shouldn't really concern him at all anyway." Tonks gazed at him for a long moment before huffing.

"Blimey you aren't half going to get me in trouble. Come on then, tell us what's on your mind." Harry watched her for a long moment, almost trying to test her sincerity.

"I don't want to stay here for the holidays." Tonks visibly relaxed.

"That it? You had me worried you were going to personally go after You-Know-Who! I know you don't like it here, ain't sane if you do. Dumbledore'll have you out of here soon enough, I don't think he plans on you staying here you whole holidays." Harry chewed his lip, feeling a surge of guilt before it melted away to nothing.

"When I say don't want to stay here, I mean as in I want to go somewhere else, a place of my own, as soon as possible." Tonks's eyes widened.

"Oh...that's definitely not a good idea. You've no idea how dangerous..." Harry sighed.

"Tonks, do you have your own apartment?" She blinked in surprise.

"Yeah, of course. I'm hardly going to live with my mum at my age..."

"I could have stunned you much more easily than you could have stunned me earlier." Tonks flushed gently.

"If this is about the safety, I'm not top on his hit list you know! I won't get in anywhere near as much trouble as you will!"

"The beauty of the idea is that no one will know I'm gone. I can just send the note every three days and everyone automatically assumes I'm here..."

"Actually, someone's going to be popping in on you every week or so." Harry groaned quietly.

"Will the visits be scheduled? I can just come back for them." Tonks stared at him sadly for a moment.

"I know you hate it here Harry but you really should think about what you're saying. I have my own place because I've had plenty of experience...not you haven't," She added hastily. "But I'm an Auror, and I can change my appearance straight away and bled into crowds if there's a threat. You don't blend well at all." Harry scowled, didn't he just show her?

"Tonks, this cloak and robes are more than enough for me to blend. As long as no one sees my face I'm fine, and no one except someone I willing give permission to can lower my hood."

"Still Harry...what'd you do if You-Know-Who turned up? That cloak won't be any use against him." Harry narrowed his eyes, feeling annoyance seep through him.

"Tonks, what would you do? I've escaped him more times than Dumbledore!" Tonks had the sense to look bashful.

"I'd probably Apparate away second I saw him if I was alone. You can't Apparate though!" Harry shrugged noncommittally.

"I've got a book on it; it's not hard to learn." Tonks stared at him.

"It's illegal to sell books on Apparition..."

"I didn't buy it, it was in my vault. You should know by now too that I don't really play by rules either." Tonks grinned a bit weakly.

"Well no, you don't, but that doesn't mean its okay. I mean, where will you stay? Anywhere that gets Harry Potter moving in without proper protection will get swamped with reporters and DE's." Harry smiled shyly and tossed a few books over at her. He laughed quietly as her eyes bulged.

"Fidelius Charm? Where'd you get this? There aren't supposed to be any books...it's all on parchment!" Harry shrugged.

"Potter vault I guess. There're some really old and powerful books from there." Tonks looked like she was resisting the temptation to browse through it. With what appeared a great deal of willpower she glanced at the other books, going a bit pale.

"Wards? Magical building and concealment...Harry, you're not thinking about building a house yourself are you?" Harry blushed.

"Well...not in so many words..."

"Harry, the amount of power it takes to do some of these things...Arthur Weasley is one of the most powerful wizards I know and you've...well, you've seen the state of the Burrow." Harry frowned indignantly at the last part.

"I think the Burrow's a wonderful house. What do you mean, Mr. Weasley's one of the most powerful wizards you know? I mean, there's plenty more powerful, Mad Eye, Dumbledore, Snape..." Tonks grinned.

"You'd be surprised Harry. I know Arthur's always nice and calm, but when you're out on the battlefield...he's saved my life tons of times, and Mad Eye's. He might not show it, but lord he could take out a few Aurors single-handedly himself." Harry stared at her.

"Mr. Weasley?" Tonks chuckled.

"Yep. Just you wait until you see him in a fight. They don't know who we are of course, but the DE's run like pigs when they see him accursing." Harry felt a warm smile on his face. He always loved the Weasley's, but it made him proud to think that their father could create that effort. It felt like...almost justice.

"That's good, but it doesn't mean anything. Maybe he wanted the Burrow to look like that." Tonks shook her head in disbelief.

"Even if he did, it takes ages to learn how to do that kind of stuff." Harry looked at the book optimistically.

"I'll be fine; I'm not planning on starting from scratch anyway." Tonks stared at him.

"What'd you mean by that?" Harry blushed again.

"There's already foundations and everything." Tonks simply stared for a minute.

"Harry, you're serious aren't you? You want out of here that much?" Harry winced but nodded, sighing as Tonks uncurled so she could lie down on her stomach, looking thoughtful.

"How much do you know about the security here?" Harry was caught off guard for a moment.

"Oh...ancient blood magic's the main thing. Then there's you lot under invisibility cloaks, and Mrs. Figg's cats...oh, and there's some very power wards a few streets away. There's a little glitch in the corner of a side alley - noticed it this morning." Tonks raised her eyebrows at that.

"Right, that's pretty much it. Now, how do you plan to get out of here? And how do you plan getting back without anyone noticing?" Harry smiled a bit.

"Pretty easy, first thing I learn to do is Apparate."

"Right...what about if they have the wards at full strength? Doesn't happen a lot, but sometimes DE's start poking there nose around to try and get past the outer defences. When they're up, it's impossible to Apparate." Harry shrugged.

"Apparate to the edge of the wards and come in with the invisibility cloak." Tonks smiled a bit.

"Oh yeah, forgot you had that. Now, what about where you're going to do this? You reckoning on putting up all your own protection?" Harry's smile grew wider.

"That's why I have the Fidelius charm book out. When I use that, there won't be a need for other protection really except the basics since no one will know the house is there." Tonks shook her head.

"You've no idea how advanced that charm is Harry. Flitwick and Dumbledore are the only two people I know who are capable of it." Harry ignored the sinking in his gut.

"I don't play by expectancies. If I need it done, I'll do it."

"I know a Patronus in third year is unheard of Harry, never mind a corporeal one, but you're talking about pretty much rocket science in comparison." The sinking sensation became stronger but he ignored it. He glanced through the book, and sure, it looked hard, but nothing he couldn't work with.

"Leave the learning part to me." Tonks chuckled and shrugged.

"'k Harry. You learn that charm and I won't have a word to say against you for the rest of my life." Harry grinned at her.

"I'll hold you to that." She frowned a bit before sitting up and stretching widely.

"Shouldn't you be asleep at this time?" He choked for a moment before eying her evilly as she giggled.

"I'm not about to go to sleep with someone else in my room am I?" Tonks fluttered her eyes.

"Why, what else would you do with someone else in your room?" Harry felt his mouth open and his blush turn full strength as Tonks giggled more.

"What...stop trying to change the subject!" Tonks finished her giggles looking amused, but ready to be a bit more serious.

"Harry, there's no chance you could move out and do anything like that until a few years time. You haven't even reached your full magical potential and..."

"Forget about all that. If I manage it, will you help me? I really don't want Dumbledore to try ordering me back. I've got a feeling he'd have me stunned, dragged, and then locked here."

"You're not the only one who feels like that." He smiled a bit.

"Well?" Tonks shrugged noncommittally.

"Sure, you master that charm and I'll help." Harry grinned happily, that was phase one all up and ready.

"Thanks." Tonks watched him and just shook her head in disbelief.

"I'll leave you to studying then. I'll expect your owl in a few years." Harry blushed as she got up.

"Actually...would you mind popping in like tonight now and again?" Tonks raised her eyebrow but slowly nodded, smiling again.

"Right you are then Harry. See you later." With a loud crack she disappeared. Harry's face immediately melted back into a very unnatural calm and calculated look for a fifteen year old boy. Glancing at the few books he hadn't shown her, he pulled the bottom one over and moved to where he was already about half way through it. Glancing around, his eyes caught on the books on the bed. Ever so carefully he gently moved his hand, concentrating on what he had learned. His face lit up in a real smile as the books began to hover. Everything was going to plan.

**A/N:** For regular story updates and notifications, please join my Yahoo Group which can be found on my profile


	5. Chapter Five

**Chapter Five**

Three days after his return to Privet Drive, Harry watched as Hedwig soared silently away from his bedroom window, exhausted, but happier than he could have expected himself to ever feel at the Dursleys.

To his disappointment, Tonks hadn't visited as she said she would do, which had pushed back his plans a bit, but it was nothing that couldn't be fixed. It gave him more time to work on his books, and become more and more amazed each minute at the amount of knowledge that was at his fingertips.

In just the three days he had been given, he felt he had learnt more about magic than he had done in a whole year at Hogwarts's. He found books that not only focussed on different aspects of magic - much more useful aspects than taught in school - but also ones that focussed on magical theory, and it was these that he was finding most interesting.

Of the set of books he had found, he had worked through two, and was already finding himself able to do the basics of wandless magic. He could summon and banish his books with ease now; it took barely more than a thought. That was what he was most proud of.

He had reached other small achievements as well. He had been able to tune one hand of his watch to portkey him to his bedroom, having tested it from the bathroom. He had also been practicing with his robes, and though it still took a great deal of concentration, he was able to change them from a basic set of black robes to basic black jeans and a t-shirt in less than a minute. He had set-up the security around his trunk and had managed to summon its shield while it was in ring from, though that had taken a good many hours. The lack of curses flying at him slowed his progress he imagined.

More importantly, he was pleased with his progress with the Fidelius charm. The book he had managed to get described the charm in 13 steps, and he had managed to master the first 2 already. It was mainly very complicated wards he learnt, when drawing comparisons between books. The Fidelius charm worked by hiding a set amount of space, preventing it from discovery. The difficulty with the charm was setting up the boundary of the space, and having the raw power to complete the charm. Accounts given said it was violently draining, as it used one of the most pure forms of magic. It was almost like a patchwork quilt of pure magic, and Harry had to give that pure magic. It was pretty much physically extracted from him and fed into the 'wards' by the Fidelius charm. He wasn't particularly looking forward to that part.

The lack of being able to do anything but wandless magic was obviously slowing down his progress a great deal. He found that while he had learnt a great deal of theory behind wards, he'd yet to have chance to practice them. They were meant to be extremely complex to construct, and he was slightly aggravated that he was missing out on practicing them.

The last thing he had been meaning to start to learn was Apparition, but having covered all the theory, he couldn't practice. Through his study of wards, he'd learnt that the wards around Privet Drive were at full strength for some reason, making him worry that Tonks had tipped Dumbledore off.

As Hedwig disappeared from sight, he sighed and moved back to his trunk. He was worrying himself by the amount of books he had already covered. Six! Hermione would be proud. Six books in three days provided he hadn't done anything other than read and practice what he could. With a bit of a grin at what her reaction would be like, he opened his trunk with a few murmured words and began searching for his food satchel.

"At last! Would you care to remove me from here? I believe I've been here three days. Of course, I spent most of that time at my other portrait but..." Harry, who had jumped back in shook, carefully unveiled the lady he had spoken to in his vault. With a sheepish smile he quickly pulled her out of the trunk and propped her up against his bed frame. He sat back, watching as the lady smoothed her hair and glanced around the room before smiling at him.

"Well hello again. I see we're not in a vault any longer." Harry felt himself smiling back at her before he had thought.

"No, we're at my Muggle relatives' house." The lady nodded and looked around in interest.

"Rather...bare, isn't it?" Harry blushed.

"Oh, well most of my things are in my trunk. That way no one can pick up anything by accident..." Or not, Harry added silently. He most definitely didn't want the Dursleys sneaking through his things.

"Quite wise. Why are you here though, and not at school?" Harry blinked for a moment.

"It's the summer holidays." The lady looked confused for a moment but then shrugged gently.

"I must have misheard. You don't attend school in the summer then?" Harry frowned, wondering just how old she was. He would ask, but he knew it was _very_ rude to ask a lady her age.

"No, this is our break. We go back in September." The women nodded before looking round again.

"You have no pictures." He was a bit taken aback at the tone behind her voice. She sounded almost condemning. He supposed she must have a particular problem with bare walls.

"Well, no. I only stay here during the holidays because I'm forced to. I don't intend to stay for any longer than absolutely necessary so I don't decorate." The woman looked him over for a moment sharply but didn't say anything else on the matter. He watched her for a few moments before his patience and curiosity got the better of him.

"Sorry, but who are you exactly?" The women looked him over for a long moment, her eyes twinkling in an annoying familiar fashion to Dumbledore.

"Rowena Ravenclaw, at your service." Harry scowled. Just what he needed - yet another thing to make him special. He now had a picture of one of the Hogwarts founders. Great learning possibilities he supposed though.

"So when your other portrait would be in your office, or private rooms?" Rowena nodded as she brushed her blond hair over her shoulder.

"Yes. No one's been in since I died." Harry sighed.

"No surprise. No one's found any rooms from the founders times...well, except the Chamber I suppose, but that's not public know..." Rowena's eyes widened as she turned a deathly pale.

"The Chamber was real?" Harry felt a small smile pull on his lips.

"Yes, I've been in it."

"It was only supposed to be a rumour; we searched the school hundreds of times..."

"Only a Parselmouth can open it." Rowena stopped short in her ramblings and looked at him very sharply.

"And how did you get in then?"

"I'm a Parselmouth." She blinked, apparently taken off balance, before backing away into the depths of the picture. He scowled.

"I'm not going to hurt you. Just because I can talk to snakes doesn't automatically make me evil you know." Rowena looked very guarded.

"You are a relation to Salazar?" Harry paused, and then slowly shook his head.

"Not that I know of. The heir of Slytherin is Voldemort...or Tom Riddle."

"Then why do you speak to snakes? I've only heard the Slytherin line capable of it." Harry glanced at his books, sighing when he realized he wasn't going to get any work done.

"When Voldemort struck me with the killing curse, it's believed that some of his...powers, transferred to me."

"You are possessed?" He would have laughed, if only it hadn't just recently happened.

"No. The Chamber was opened in my second year when a diary memory of Tom Riddle possessed my friend. He has tried possessing me, though it went rather painfully for him I believe." Rowena frowned.

"That is very advanced magic, to trap an essence...excuse me Harry. Why haven't I heard of this at the castle?" Harry shrugged noncommittally.

"Happened a while ago and there are only a very select few who know about it." Rowena looked like she was itching to leave her frame.

"Tell me; are there any frames in the Chamber?" Harry snorted.

"No, 'fraid not. It's all stone and dead Basilisk skin there."

"Basilisk...was that the monster? Good lord, that thing was let out in the school?" Harry had never seen anyone so alarmed.

"Well...it used the sewage system. There weren't any deaths this time, people were just petrified. When Tom Riddle was at school he let it out and it killed a girl in a bathroom - Moaning Myrtle? Do you know about her?" Rowena looked a bit nauseous.

"Oh yes, she spies in the prefect's bathroom. She was killed by the Basilisk? What's been done with it? Something that dangerous in a school...and so many years to mature..." He let out a quiet breath.

"Don't worry; it's dead and rotting away." Rowena seemed to deflate.

"Thank the lord. The current headmaster is said to be a great wizard, but slightly mentally unstable. I haven't caught sight of him before, but word and rumour does travel in the castle." Harry smiled a bit.

"Yeah...he's a bit...barmy." Rowena frowned a bit, most likely at his use of language, but then appeared to catch her interest.

"How was it killed? Who killed it? I can't imagine how powerful it must have been after a thousand years of growth." Harry felt his blush creeping up again.

"I...killed it, I suppose. That's why I know about the Chamber - I'm one of the only three people who have actually been in the Chamber since the founders."

"Well it looks like I have the right source then. How did you kill such a beast and not be killed yourself?" Harry was rather taken aback by the straightforwardness of her manner. It was a relief - most people stopped and stared in awe.

"I had help from the Headmaster's phoenix. Fawkes punctured both of its eyes."

"A phoenix is at the castle? I must see it, quite wonderful creatures. I had one myself; in my younger days before it left for mating...I take it that the eyes lost the power once they were destroyed?" Harry nodded.

"Yeah - just a massive snake trying to have lunch really." Rowena laughed quietly.

"And what curse did you use to kill it?" Harry blinked.

"I don't think there would be a curse powerful enough to kill it."

"Nonsense, of course there would be. If you were powerful enough, there are a number of options. A magnified killing curse should have done the job..." Harry stared at her in disbelief.

"I was 12." Rowena flushed gently.

"Oh...perhaps not then. If not by curse than how on earth did you kill it? There aren't any arts in modern times that I am aware of that could kill such a thing." He paused for a moment. Perhaps she might know something about what happened.

"Fawkes also brought me the school sorting hat." Rowena blinked.

"The hat? But why? I'm aware it's still in the school, but it must be a ragged old thing now. I was rather amazed to learn the charms are still strong after all of this time."

"Yeah...it is a bit tatty. Saved my life though."

"We didn't place anything to do that on the hat. How do you mean?" Harry watched her closely.

"I pulled a sword from the hat." Rowena looked very confused for a moment before a grin graced her face.

"Godric's? He always was sly as Salazar when he wanted to be. Funny though, I thought he took the sword with him when he left the school...actually, I'm sure of it. Perhaps he charmed it to return to the hat after an allocated time? Or maybe you called it _through_ the hat. They were both his after all, and he did have some very powerful items. He had a necklace that allowed him to pass through any wards created at the time...I wonder what happened to that?" Harry shrugged as she turned to him questionably.

"I'm not sure. The history of the founders is rather...scratchy, since it was ages ago. I've never heard anything about a necklace." Rowena frowned.

"Strange. Godric was rather proud of it, almost as much as his sword. There were a great many magical items of the likes at Hogwarts...I myself had a device that allowed me to walk through solid matter - rather useful as you can imagine. Didn't half speed up travel."

"Is that in your room?"

"I'm not sure; I can't move about my room, it could be." Harry hid his smile. He wouldn't mind getting his hands on that device. Rowena seemed to notice his look.

"Don't think about it. Those items I speak of are very dangerous. Unless absolutely necessary, I will not reveal the location of any of them. I really shouldn't have rambled on about them. It's always the same with the men, power, power, power. Either that or its women." Harry flushed.

"I was rather thinking of using it to get out of here actually. I don't want power, just some peace." She smoothed her hair before giving him a piercing look.

"Perhaps. Could you tell me where the Chamber is? I was sure we checked everywhere." Harry smiled a bit.

"The entrance was a sink in the girl's bathroom. It leads down through the sewer system...I think it might have even been under the lake." Rowena looked thoughtful for a moment.

"Are you sure? We placed some wards up when we heard the rumours, and Salazar never went anywhere near the girls bathrooms. I think I would remember considering. He spent most of his time lurking around the dungeons."

"Well, that's the entrance both Tom Riddle and I used. I'm afraid I didn't actually spend time looking around, my friend was pretty shaken up, never mind me."

"I can imagine. Perhaps there is another entrance. I would very much like to see this Chamber. Is there a possibility of you taking me?" Harry frowned.

"Erm...I'm not really sure. Well...I'm not at school till September, and then I'll probably need Professor Dumbledore to come with me, or at least Fawkes or I wouldn't be able to get out."

"Why ever not?" Harry grimaced.

"You slide down a pipe. Fawkes had to fly us out."

"That's definitely not the entrance Salazar will have used then. He would never put himself down so much to slide anywhere."

"Sounds like Malfoy."

"Malfoy? I know that name..." She muttered to herself for a long moment.

"Ah yes, a Lucius Malfoy destroyed a number of portraits at Hogwarts. There was rather a commotion about it. I believe he was very nearly expelled." Harry felt sick.

"Sounds like something he'd do if he got angry. He's a Death Eater now, following Voldemort. His son is in my year, the mirror image of his father." Rowena scowled.

"If he destroys a painting, I shall ask you to curse him rather violently and then exempt you from the punishment. Your headmaster would respect if I made a request as such wouldn't he?" Harry nodded.

"He's a very wise man. Sticks his noise in everyone's business too much, but no doubt one of the greatest wizards of the time, if not _the_ greatest."

"I shall have to meet him. I must say, I am glad you came along, I've been awfully bored."

"I can imagine. I..." Harry was interrupted by a loud crack. His wand was summoned to his hand before he had time to think about it, and pointing directly at a grinning Tonks, who was sported bubblegum green hair.

"Wotcha Harry. I ain't here to hurt you." Harry smiled a bit reluctantly and put his wand down beside him.

"Very quick draw. Impressive." Harry blushed as Tonks head shot up sharply. He noticed to his surprise that her gaze rested on the portrait.

"Who's this?" Harry grinned.

"Nymphadora Tonks..."

"I hate that name! Call me that one more time and I'll hex you into the..."

"Meet Rowena Ravenclaw." Tonks stopped short. Harry couldn't help but laugh at the completely shocked expression on her face.

"Ravenclaw...as in the Hogwarts founder?" Harry nodded, grinning before turning to Rowena.

"Why can she see you?" Rowena look Tonks over sharply.

"She isn't who she appears to be." Harry frowned and moved to get his wand but Tonks shook her head.

"I think she means my gift. I'm a Metamorphmagus remember? I change appearance all the time." Harry glanced at Rowena who definitely looked interested now.

"Are you? I remember Godric's mother was one, and that was rare enough as it was. The only other one that comes to mind is Merlin, though he preferred using his ability to change into animals rather than simply change his appearance."

"What? I can change into animals?" Harry glanced at Tonks in surprise, who looked _very_ interested.

"You've never tried?" Tonks frowned.

"Of course not, I'm not an Animagus..." Rowena cleared her throat.

"I believe dear, that you if you practice, you may be able to learn how to do so, but remember, Merlin was extremely powerful. Godric's mother managed before her death to morph into a cat, but was stuck in that form until we managed to work her out of it, which took weeks. Please take to mind though she was one hundred and thirty before she managed it." Tonks paled.

"Oh...that's alright, I think I might just stick to changing human parts." Harry laughed quietly, getting both of their attention. Tonks grinned sheepishly at him before plopping herself down on his bed.

"Told you I'd come. You sent your note off?"

"Yeah, not long ago." Tonks nodded and glanced at Rowena.

"Something else you picked up at your vault." Harry grinned and nodded, noticing Rowena had disappeared, probably to snoop around after what he had told her.

"Yeah, I only just found out who she was though. Been enlightening her about the Chamber of Secrets." Tonks glanced at him in interest.

"That really happened? It's a massive rumour among the Aurors. Says you killed a thousand year old Basilisk, and a seventeen year old You-Know-Who." Harry paused, never having thought about it like that. He had actually killed Voldemort in a sense hadn't he? He was solid, and he had the wand...if only he could get away with doing that to the Voldemort of now.

"Yeah, that's pretty much it." Tonks eyes went massive.

"Seriously? I mean it's meant to be a joke! A real life Basilisk?" Harry sighed and nodded.

"Had very sharp teeth." Tonks stared at him before chuckling.

"I bet you've got that Fidelius charm done now that I doubted you, haven't you?" He flushed.

"Not yet, but I'm two steps on the way."

"How many steps?"

"Thirteen." Tonks groaned.

"In three days? Have you slept?" Harry shrugged, not wanting to lie.

"I've been doing other stuff as well. How come the wards are...or were at full strength?" Tonks glanced at him.

"How'd you know?"

"Read the book on wards. Pretty easy to find them. How come?" Tonks watched him for a long moment before yawning.

"You-Know-Who personally was trying to bring them down. Almost managed as well until Dumbledore got there with us. Scared him right off. Apparently he can't get into your mind through whatever protection's here so he tried taking the direct approach." Harry sighed quietly.

"No one hurt?" Tonks grinned.

"Nah. Like I said, he saw us and them said it's not over and Disapparated - typical bad guy exit."

"Sounds like Malfoy." Tonks pulled a face before glancing around the room.

"Come on then, what've you learnt? There're books all over the place!" Harry smiled and glanced out of the window, concentrating on the state of the wards. Making sure they were standing at a dormant state, he concentrated, and then grinned as Tonks shrieked. He watched her look around worriedly before tapping her shoulder, laughing as she almost jumped off of his bed.

"Harry! You little...you almost gave me a heart attack!" Harry calmed to chuckles as he sat down on his bed again.

"Told you I'd learn that first." Tonks scowled at him.

"That's illegal you know, you should be registered with the Ministry. You could have splinched yourself." Harry shrugged again.

"It's easy to learn. I read the guide four times. Not exactly scientist stuff." Tonks gave up trying to look stern and laughed.

"Alright, I suppose it's useful anyhow. Now, anything to show me that won't scare the wits out of me?" Harry paused.

"That depends if you'll keep it to yourself." Tonks thought for a moment.

"As long as it's nothing _very_ dangerous, and Dumbledore doesn't ask me outright about it." Harry nodded and lifted his hand, summoning a book from her side. He glanced at Tonks who was watching him expectantly.

"Well?" He groaned.

"Watch." With that he banished the book into his trunk and summoned his food pouch.

"Watch what?"

"Oh god Tonks! No wand?" Tonks blinked and then grinned.

"Oh yeah, sorry, not paying attention. How'd you learn that? Nifty trick." Harry frowned.

"Another book over there." Tonks glanced around.

"Anything big and impressive?" He chewed on that one for a moment.

"Can you put up some wards around something?" Tonks blinked.

"What kind of wards?" Harry shrugged.

"One that stops solid objects?" Tonks pulled out her wand, looked around, and then after some complicated wand movements muttered something under her breath. Harry felt something erect round the book in the middle of the floor and grinned, tossing a sock at it. It bounced off an invisible wall half a metre from the book.

"Great. Now, one sec." He looked at the book and its surroundings, and then slowly and gently began feeling out the wards around it. Murmuring phrases from the book to remind himself under his breath, he screwed up his concentration on revealing the whole ward, feeling himself beginning to drain already. He frowned and let out a small gasp as he felt the shape complete. With his gasp the wards around the book suddenly became visible as a dark purple square. He grinned happily but kept his focus, carefully testing the integrity here and there, until almost four minutes later he found a weakness. With a small cry of triumph he pummelled through. There was a flash, and he saw the ward crumble to pieces. He immediately sat back, feeling his head throbbing gently, but very satisfied.

"Blimey...that...without a wand too! What'd you do? How'd you take them down? You didn't even attack them! How'd you even get them to show?" Harry grinned at her tiredly, feeling the blood in his veins beginning to throb. The aftermath definitely wasn't what he had hoped his was.

"I told you, I read the book on wards, and a few on magical theories. I basically found the weak point and...made it collapse. Like...I pulled out a support beam that made the whole building come down."

"Wow...I got top marks for my wards too!" Harry smiled at her.

"I can imagine; it took me ages to find the weak part." Tonks shook her head slowly.

"I've never heard of anyone doing that before. I've seen Dumbledore shoot this yellow charm thing that made some wards collapse in on themselves but...what book did you read?" Harry glanced at the title.

"It's just called 'Wards'. I kind of mixed it with the magical theory as well though."

"You're going to have to show Dumbledore that sometime. I wonder how long it'd take Voldemort to bring down the school wards if he can do something like that..." Harry shrugged.

"It'd take at least a few days. You'd be able to sense him doing it anyway...well, someone should be able to." Tonks shrugged.

"Can you make wards too?" Harry nodded.

"I think so, haven't had any practice though. Waiting until I get out of here to try." Tonks sighed.

"You really think you're going to be able to do this don't you?" Harry nodded.

"Of course. I'm not going to let Dumbledore tell me how to live my life after...well, now." Tonks looked at him weirdly.

"Were you in a fight with him or something?" He blushed.

"Well...yeah, I suppose so. Trashed his office." Tonks grinned for a split instant before her face went back to the stern expression, only to melt into a concerned one.

"What about?" Harry shuffled uncomfortably. He most definitely wasn't ready to tell the prophecy to Tonks.

"Just things. Are you still going to help me?" Tonks looked slightly unsure.

"I don't know Harry; doesn't what I told you happened put you off a bit? He's out for your blood. You get out of here and you're just walking straight into his hands."

"I'll cut his hands off then." Tonks snorted.

"I'd love to see that." Harry grinned a bit.

"Yeah, me too. That won't be a problem though, with the Fidelius and the fact I'm supposed to be here, and that I can now Apparate. I mean, I'm not going to pick someone like Wormtail for secret keeper...I think I might be actually be able to modify the charm to make myself the secret keeper...but don't know yet, that comes later."

"Where're you thinking of building this house? What do you know about the area? Do you know how to..." Harry cut her off.

"Yeah, I've started to look through the building books, and my vaults got tons of furniture in. Rowena might help me too, I mean, she did help build Hogwarts, can't be anywhere near as hard to build a house on foundation already there." Tonks frowned.

"Where?" Harry glanced at the floor, feeling shy.

"Godric's Hollow." He heard Tonks draw breath sharply.

"Lord Harry, you must want out of here badly." Harry nodded a bit before sighing.

"It's the best place anyway, he'll expect it, so he'll overlook it. That's what he's like." Tonks sighed.

"Harry...that wouldn't be the best place for you runaway to. There's a lot of bad memories there." He shrugged.

"It's my home."

"It's in Wales ." Harry gave her a long look.

"And?" Tonks rolled her eyes.

"Have you tried Apparating more than a metre yet? It took me almost half a year to be able to Apparate that distance." Harry paused.

"What?" Tonks smiled at him a bit.

"Try Apparating to...that Alley where you stunned Levi. I follow in a sec." Harry frowned but nodded, closing his eyes and concentrating. He felt the distinct jerk of movement, and opened his eyes to find himself in the Alley. He smiled to himself and glanced calmly around, waiting for the telltale crack from Tonks. It came a moment later, and she looked rather surprised to see him.

"Oh...hello. Surprised you made it. Alright show off, how about somewhere further? See if you can make it to the back of the Three Broomsticks, you know where I mean?" Harry nodded, pulling a face at the reminder of walking in on Parvati and some brown haired boy a few years ago there snogging their hearts out. He watched Tonks disappear with a crack and slowly began to visual the area, knowing that this was meant to be much harder than a simple trip to London . When a few minutes later he felt he had the picture in quite sharp detail, he focused on it and felt a now-becoming familiar pull.

_"Flipendo!"_ He hissed as he skidded back from the impact of the curse, _very_ thankful for his robes. He ducked another curse and ducked behind a crate, trying to assess the situation. He was worried about Tonks, and the fact he couldn't hear anything which meant she was either unconscious, silenced, or something he most definitely didn't want to think about. With a long breath he withdrew his wand, and then with a crack Disapparated just as the person came round to the box. He Apparated just to the right of the person and almost sent a very nasty hex of before he recognized the eyes. It was Tonks! Even if she was looking like a man. Tonks noticed him and brought up her wand again, but Harry Disapparated, trying to get time to think. Obviously this was some kind of test.

When he reappeared, he quickly transfigured the box behind her before Disapparating immediately, avoiding her curse. When he reappeared, he simply shot a Lumos spell right into her eyes, making her squeal and stumble backwards. He grinned as she tripped backwards into the chair he provided, and quickly summoned restraints, and then managed a weak anti-Apparition jinx as well. He laughed as Tonks struggled but didn't get anywhere.

"Now now Tonks, you know it's rude to attack people unawares." Tonks stopped fighting and her disguise melted away until she appeared as she had done in his bedroom.

"How'd you know it was me?" He chuckled as he freed her from the chair.

"Your eyes were the same colour. That, and the fact you wouldn't have gone down without a fight, and there was no signs of a fight. Too coincidental that there was this big burly man where you were meant to be." Tonks pulled a face and raised her wand.

"Back to your house then. You passed the test." Harry grinned cheekily at her as she suddenly reeled backwards.

"Anti-Disapparation jinx. Here." He took the jinx off of her, earning him a wallop round the head before she disappeared with a crack. Harry looked around for a moment, noticing Hogwarts twinkling in the distance, before smiling sadly and Disapparating.

"You cheated!" Harry blinked as he sat down on his bed.

"How?" Tonks pouted.

"Your robes! That Flipendo would have done you in!" Harry nodded wincing a bit.

"Yeah, I know. That was really powerful, trying to hurt me?" Tonks grinned sheepishly.

"Always been my most powerful that one." Harry rubbed his chest a bit in mock hurt.

"And there I was, being gentlemanly and giving you a chair to fall into." Tonks blushed.

"Yeah well, girls don't have to play by manners; it's the men who need to do that." Harry snorted and glanced at Rowena's frame, surprised to find it still empty. He pushed the thought aside though and turned his attention back to Tonks.

"So, why the test?" Tonks shrugged.

"Figured that if you actually managed to show up, I should give you a bit of a challenge."

"Why thank you." He said sarcastically. In fact, he was rather surprised by how easy the apparition had been, never mind how easily he had managed to beat Tonks. She grinned at him.

"Just don't get cocky. Just cause you managed to beat me twice in a row doesn't mean you'll be able to beat anyone like Mad Eye. I'm just a rookie remember." Harry rolled his eyes.

"Sure. Anymore tests to look forward to?"

"Nah, you're okay for now. Are you still thinking seriously about Godric's Hollow?" Harry nodded immediately, smiling inside as he got his chance.

"You could come with me if you wanted. Make sure I'm safe, and take a holiday or something." Tonks stared at him, the surprise evident in her face. He blushed, but in the inside he was grinning slyly. All he needed to do now was to learn the charm; a few building spells, and take a trip back to the vault. Tonks staying with him would grant him an upper hand in an argument against the Order about protection, an ear in the Order, not to mention she was good company.

"I don't know Harry; this doesn't sound like one of your better plans. Voldemort after your blood isn't a matter to not take seriously. I couldn't do a thing against him for you." Harry smiled a bit.

"I know, I don't expect you to. Dumbledore would barely be able to do a thing for me if he came. You could be protection from DE's if you really want a reason. If you want the real reason...well, it'd be nice to have someone actually helping with the house." Tonks looked appalled.

"You want me to cook for you?" Harry laughed.

"No, no. I can cook for myself thanks. I meant more like...what the house'll need and what goes where and everything." Tonks stared at him for a long moment.

"Harry, I'm not the most organized person you could have thought of." Harry sighed quietly.

"I know, but the only other person I trust in the Order not to go straight to Dumbledore or guilt me with the Weasley's is Remus...and I've always preferred the idea of having somewhere ready for him if I asked him. I'd love to have him live with me at Godric's Hollow, but first I want to make sure it's done properly." Tonks smiled calmly at him as she stretched, glancing at the time.

"That's nice. Remus deserves somewhere nice. Those werewolf restrictions are _so_..."

"Beg my pardon for the interruption, but would I be right in assuming you disappeared to Hogsmeade?" Both of them turned to stare at Rowena who looked slightly worried.

"Yeah actually. How'd you know?" She shuffled in her portrait.

"A small man ran past the portrait I was in shouting of a magical disturbance in Hogsmeade - a duel. I guessed that that was where you might have disappeared to so you could practice since Hogwarts provides magical screening. I would recommend you quickly go and wipe the area unseen before you are traced." Tonks swore loudly.

"I had no idea they had sensors...I'll be right back..." Harry reached over and tossed her his invisibility cloak.

"Wipe the resonance and don't stick around, Dumbledore can see straight through them, and Snape can sense you." Tonks nodded and disappeared under the cloak. There was a sharp crack that told them of her disappearance. Harry let out a small breath and turned back to Rowena.

"Thanks for the warning." Rowena nodded, her eyes twinkling in amusement.

"You're welcome, though you should be more careful in the future. Were you practicing duelling?" Harry smiled a bit.

"Of a sort. Tonks jumped me while I was practicing Apparating in a male form - a test she said. I only cast a few spells, nothing offensive." Rowena frowned.

"Then you lost?" Harry shook his head, grinning.

"Nope, won. My most offensive charm though was a Lumos."

"That is...impressive. I take it she used some more powerful curses? The man appeared to be quite worried." Harry rubbed his chest absentmindedly while nodding.

"Yeah. I didn't expect them to be able to pick up anything like that though in Hogsmeade..."

"The wards extend to include Hogsmeade...well, the sensory ones anyway. The apparition ones end at the school gate. She must have used a particularly vicious curse to set off the alarms." Harry grumbled quietly.

"She didn't go easy on me, that's for sure." Rowena simply smiled.

"And I would expect her not to. How will you ever learn anything if people hold back on their teaching abilities? I would expect that you especially have an awful lot to learn." Harry frowned.

"What'd you mean by that?" Rowena looked him over as she had done so many times before. It seemed that with each new conversation she assessed whether he was ready or not to hear the answer.

"I have heard word that Tom Riddle has returned, in full strength. Do you not think it wise to be ready to face him once again should he come to you?" Harry scowled darkly but didn't argue. Instead he moved over to his desk and began pulling out pieces of parchment, waiting for Tonks return. He was worried she'd get caught, and then not only would _she_ get in trouble, but he could kiss whatever dreams he had of freedom goodbye. He slammed his drawer shut the same time the loud crack went off in the bedroom. He felt relief course through him as Tonks put appeared and put his cloak back in his trunk.

"How'd it go?" Tonks glanced at him and shivered a bit.

"Close call. Managed to wipe the area, but everyone's going to know it was wiped. If Dumbledore knew you could Apparate, he'd be over here faster than you could say bumblebee, I bet you."

"Well he doesn't know, so he can't suspect me can he?" Tonks gave him a sharp look before sitting on his bed after a stretch, and with a flurry of concentration, turning her hair to a slightly more comfortable looking plan brown curling mass.

"I get teenage rebellion Harry, but don't be so hard on Dumbledore. He does more for you than you'll ever know." Harry's eyes narrowed as he sat down on his desk chair rather violently.

"He should be looking out for the people who matter!" Tonks met his glare without a flinch.

"Don't you matter Harry?" Harry continued to glare. He might have lost his faith in Dumbledore, but he still wasn't ready to believe he would break something as confidential as the prophecy with the Order without first telling. If he had done then well...he had a feeling he would completely disown the fact he respected the man. He might matter for the battle, but he sure as hell wasn't going to pretend to be prepared to fight it if he lost the people that really _did_ matter.

"No. The people who matter are the Weasley's, Hermione, you, Remus, the Order members, even Snape for god's sake! The possibility of me living till seventeen is pretty much nil, and I'm never going to make it if anything happens to any of them! Dumbledore needs to make them safe!" Tonks seemed rather taken aback by his outburst and he noticed to his anger tears forming in her eyes. He averted his eyes and directing his glare out of the window and into the expanse of the night sky. He knew his anger was growing too much. There was rarely a day passing nowadays without him feeling it take hold of him in some manner or another. He tried to channel it out of him, glaring at the darkness, letting it absorb what he held in common with Voldemort.

"What do you think would happen to them if they lost you Harry? Forget about the wizarding world and those idiots like Fudge. There are people who love you for you Harry, not the second foremost figure against the Dark." Harry felt his cheeks fill with boiling blood at that, but he managed to keep his outburst under tight control. He channelled it silently to the star he had picked out in the sky, and watched as it blinked violently back at him, almost mockingly. He narrowed his eyes for a long moment before suddenly sighing, feeling himself deflating. It did him no good to be angry - it did no one any good, except Voldemort. It was just another thing he could use against him.

"When's the next Order meeting?" Tonks stared at him for a moment, obviously taken off balance by the sudden change in his attitude.

"Why do you want to know?" Harry grunted in frustration. Need to know basis - he hated the man who had come up with the term. How was he expected to defeat the worst Dark Lord to have graced the world if he didn't even know anything?

"I am interested." He said, in punctually sharp tones. Tonks's face betrayed her hurt for a moment before she eased her face into a weak smile.

"No need to get feisty Harry. It's in a few days time, Thursday."

"Still at the same Headquarters?" Tonks nodded, sighing.

"Yeah. Kreacher topped himself, and he never managed to give away the location because no matter how much he hated it, he was bound to Sirius's orders. Narcissa knows he was the Black's house elf of course, so she knows they're at Black house, but since Dumbledore hasn't told her himself, and she hasn't seen one of his written notes, she can't find the house. She came round a bit nosing the other week, with Draco. Me and Kingsley went and confronted them, saying that there'd been Dark Magic read in the area. They left pretty much straightaway - I think they might have had something on them." Harry smiled weakly at her, silently thanking her for the little titbit of information. Not anything like he was hoping to get, he knew, but it was still something. He ran his hand through his air, glancing at his books and silently planning, wondering just how clever Dumbledore was.

"Why'd you want to know when the meeting was?" Harry paused for a split second before a reason came to mind.

"If they're a monthly event, which means for the meeting time there's no one around here." Tonks chuckled.

"Cor, you really do belong in Slytherin if you're thinking like that Harry." He scowled a bit, glanced up at where Rowena was simply watching them both, looking at him interestedly, but to his surprise without contempt. He met her stare for a moment before dragging his gaze back to where Tonks had taken the short break to make her nose smaller, and her eyes a soft brown.

"Any reason you're changing?" Tonks simply shrugged.

"Never stay looking the same too much, helps keeps enemies away." Harry watched as with what looked like almost painful concentration, she slowly grew a few inches, and filled out. He had to smile a bit when he was introduced to a fat Tonks.

"You look charming." Tonks gave him a sour look before picking up her wand from her side.

"I should get going. Anything else?" Harry paused before nodding, gesturing to his parchment strewn desk.

"I want you to deliver these for me." Tonks frowned.

"Harry...its parchment. Everyone has..."

"It's not just parchment. It's two-way charmed parchment." Tonks looked at him questionably. With a small shake of the head Harry reached over and took up his quill, feeding it with ink. After clearing it of blotch drops, he carefully wrote a greeting on one piece of parchment. He smiled to himself as Tonks gasped as it appeared on its twin next to it.

"God that's useful. No way can that get intercepted..."

"Exactly. Could you give these to some of my friends? I don't think Hedwig should take them just in case." Tonks slowly nodded, her eyes scanning over the parchment before she grinned.

"More from your vault?" He nodded, smiling.

"Yeah, told you it had some really useful stuff. This is just from the Ministry vault; I didn't go in my family one. So, will you?" Tonks nodded again as an affirmative.

"Course. Who shall I take them to?" Harry pulled out his spare wand, and began carefully cutting through the charms on the pieces of parchment to burn initials into the top corners of the parchment. Tonks watched silently as he worked for almost ten minutes, counteracting the copy process to make sure that the initials stayed and were not absorbed and copied. It was much more difficult than he had expected, but by the third pair, he felt he was beginning to get the use of it.

"Right, first of all this is yours." Tonks tentatively took the parchment from him before giving him a smile and tucking it to his embarrassment down her blouse. He glanced quickly back to the table.

"If you could take this one to Remus? Is he at headquarters?" Tonks nodded her smile slipping.

"Yeah...this'll do him good Harry. He's been really depressed, and his last transformation was awful...it took him nearly three days to wake up." Harry's lip trembling for the briefest moment was the only testament to his emotion, which he quickly covered up.

"Please make sure he gets it then. Now...these, I want to go to Neville, Luna, Ron, Hermione and Ginny respectively if that's alright?" Tonks nodded, quickly conjuring a bag for the parchments.

"Shouldn't be too hard to get a hold of if they're home." Harry nodded vaguely, wondering who to give the remaining pieces to. With a small nod to himself he began engraving again.

"If you'll give this to Moody...and this one I suppose to Dumbledore?" Tonks nodded and took the pieces without hesitation. Harry chewed on his lip on deciding who to give the others to. With a last thought he waved the parchment to a side.

"That's all I think." Tonks looked at the last piece curiously but nodded.

"Alright. You should know that Dumbledore and Mad Eye will be really wondering where and how you got these." Harry nodded.

"I know. Tell them you don't know, and I'll answer any questions they might send me within reason." Tonks frowned but nodded again, looking hesitant for a moment.

"Don't do anything stupid before I come again, will you?" Harry gave her a small smile.

"Of course not. When can you come again?" Tonks looked a bit surprised, but quickly covered up with a bright smile that looked heartfelt.

"I'll come after the day after the meeting if that's alright?" Harry nodded happily, glancing at Rowena who was watching him with more than a bit of sharpness. He had an uncanny idea she had an idea he was up to something.

"Just remember, please don't tell anyone about all of this...I don't think it's a good idea to tell them about Rowena either, I'll do that in my own time." He heard a quiet cough from the portrait and sent her an amused smile before turning back to see Tonks agreeing.

"Alright Harry, but I can't keep a secret from Dumbledore forever, if he orders me straight out...I can only go about the truth so much before he finds out I'm lying." Harry nodded understandingly.

"I know. If you have to, just tell him to ask me, and if he invades your mind, he can forget about me doing anything for the good of the wizarding world." Tonks eyes widened considerably at that.

"Harry..." Harry sighed and waved a hand.

"I'll speak to you later. Don't worry about it for now." Tonks eyed him for a long time, before suddenly pulling him into a hug to his surprise. He hadn't had chance to react though before she pulled back and disappeared with an audible crack.

"What are you planning?" Harry swam slowly through his confused thoughts before turning to Rowena.

"I have someone else to give the parchment to, but I don't want anyone knowing about him." Not waiting for a reply, he turned to the remaining parchment and engraved an X onto the top right hand corner.

"And about the meeting?" Harry glanced at her, frowning in thought.

"I'm not really sure yet. It depends what I learn beforehand." Rowena gave him a piercing look.

"I believe the meeting is meant to be private." He was reminding much too much of Hermione in that instant.

"I also believe I have more right than any in that room to know what Voldemort is up to." To his surprise he saw a sly smile show on Rowena's face.

"I must say I agree with you boy. Now, how would you like a little instruction?"

**A/N:** For regular story updates and notifications, please join my Yahoo Group which can be found on my profile  
  
[#]Beta needed[#]


	6. Chapter Six

**Chapter Six**

With a sharp and sudden brake, Stan felt the Knight Bus jerk to a violent stop. With a yawn, he climbed to his feet, ignoring the enraged shrieks on an owl somewhere in the back, and moved to the front of the bus, rolling his eyes as he began the ingrained monologue.

"Welcome to the Knight Bus, emergency..." With a more than startled yelp he suddenly felt himself soaring away from the Knight Bus, into the dark night.

* * *

Dumbledore glanced around the now comfortable living room of Grimmauld Place , thanks greatly to the amount of time and effort both the Weasley's and Sirius had put into the house. With a tired sigh he only allowed himself to give out of the presence of others, he lowered himself shakily into a large soft armchair, awaiting the arrival of the members of the Order with a dispirited manner. He knew already, that this night would not be filled with the best of news.

* * *

"BOY! Get yourself down here!" Vernon Dursley hollered up the stairs, hoping he could intimidate the ungrateful wrench into coming down. He had no wants to go into the freaks domain and risk getting freaked up by anything he had there. He remembered his poor Dudley 's tail much too well. The boy was a devil's spawn placed unfairly in his family. What had he ever done to disserve him?

"I said get down here!" He didn't like the pure silence that greeted him. Even at the weekend, when the boy hadn't emerged from his room for meals even, he had still acknowledged his angry shouts and reminders to send a note to those freaks from the platform. Vernon wasn't bothered if he starved, just as long as he didn't get more of them threatening his family. The boy could die for all he cared; he just wanted him out of his life.

"BOY!" With an angry roar Vernon forced himself to take to the stairs. Even for what he cared, the boy better not have died on him. He had no doubt he'd get hell from his headmaster and that disgusting eyeball wizard. He trembled at just the reminder of that horrible thing swirling...

Not the time to think of that, most definitely not. He needed to get that boy out of that room. Petunia wanted the garden doing, and he'd be damned if he let the brat live under his roof free of charge...

With a massive bang he threw open Potter's bedroom door, expecting to be glowering down at his nephew on his bed. Instead, he found a note clearly marked out on his duvet. Glancing nervously around the room in case it was a trap, he stormed in before he lost his nerve and snatched up the note. After checking nothing was going to turn him into a pig, he glared at the piece of paper.

_Uncle Vernon _

_If you want something done, which you must do if you're in my room, do it yourself. _

_I'm not here at the moment. Don't worry; I will be back. _

_Harry._

* * *

Tonks glanced around suspiciously as she entered the meeting room. She had more than a suspicion that Harry was going to try and sneak in, judging from their conversation the last time she had seen him. She knew in her heart she wouldn't reveal him, but that wouldn't stop her making his existence very painful if she found out he was here. To her relief though, she saw Dumbledore already inside waiting for them. He would know if Harry were here under his cloak, Harry had said so himself.

* * *

Stan gasped as he was pressed up against the wall, trying to control the tears that grew behind his eyes as his oxygen was cut off. With a sickening wrench he felt the painful sensation of double apparition, and then hit a dark cement floor so hard he blacked out.

* * *

Dumbledore glanced tiredly around the room as Severus slipped in silently, the last to arrive. He took his seat in the furthest corner, and quickly looked around the room. Dumbledore felt the gentlest of probes on his mind, but he knew he did only because he expected it. He waited until Snape nodded to him, clearing that the room was filled with only those who it should have been, before clearing his throat and leaning forwards.

* * *

Tonks glanced around the room another time, noting that Dumbledore was sweeping the room under his gaze, and the small probing a few seconds ago told her Snape had done the same thing. Harry wasn't here. She could rest easy, and then berate herself later for worrying.

* * *

"I'm glad you could all make it. I hope you are all well, and you are all ready to report. This meeting has begun." With a wave of his hand Dumbledore activated the charmed minute's parchment he had in his possession, and waited until it stated the date before turning to Arthur.

"Arthur? The position with Cornelius?" Arthur nodded and leaned forward himself, his eyes carrying a disturbing dark bluntness that was completely out of character.

"He has admitted the return of the Dark Lord, and is reassuring everyone in the public, and Ministry that steps are being taken to ensure our safety. His liaison with the Muggle Prime Minister however, has not been told to contact them and warn them of the danger. He hasn't approved the extra funding for my department to counteract the dark objects being planted with innocent Muggles. I don't believe he has done anything actually, except order the restoration of the fountain of Magical Brethren, and resort to the normal Propaganda with the Daily Prophet. My sources from the paper tell me he's stopped pressing for discrediting of you Albus, but he hasn't said anything about Harry. He's playing a dangerous game, not publicly apologising to Harry after the Quibbler article, but he's got so much he can take him to trial about at the moment, or he believes he does, that he's confident to be able to keep the situation in hand." Dumbledore let out a long tired sigh before turning to Kingsley, pushing aside his anger at the incompetent fool as every other member of the Order had to do.

"What of the Aurors?" Kingsley growled quietly.

"Or budget was cut to repair the fountain. There are no requests for Auror recruits going out, and he's sending us out on useless patrols around the major wizarding areas like Diagon Alley. The only thing substantial that's come out of that was an unknown masked wizard was seen heading out of Gringotts, and stunned a pursuing Auror when he was ordered...rather blatantly without proper cause, to halt. Tonks was with Levi, but she lost him in a crowd of Muggles. We haven't done anything other than put on a show for the public, making people think it's safe." More than half of the room jumped at the vehemence that came out of Kingsley as he finished. No one said a word though as Tonks was turned to expectantly. It was the way at the meeting. Nothing was discussed until everything was reported. She took a deep breath, praying she could keep her mind blank.

* * *

Stan groaned painfully as he felt consciousness return to him. He felt two arms pull him awkwardly to against a wall before pushing something against his mouth. He coughed violently as he felt a liquid pouring down his throat, and made to instinctively retch before a hand caught his chin.

"Don't Stan, it'll help you're head. You're safe, don't worry." Stan almost choked when he heard the voice, and ended up swallowing the potion before he had a chance to think on the matter. To his relief and surprise though his head immediately cleared and his vision returned, showing him a dark robed figure knelt before him, the darkness under his hood impenetrable until two pale hands pulled it back. He gasped in relief.

"Harry." Harry smiled briefly at him before pulling out a wand and murmuring a newly learnt, weak healing charm at the back of his head.

"Sorry Stan, but couldn't really waltz right up to you." Stan groaned quietly as he sat up.

"Could have told us first though, I would have Apparated voluntarily." Harry scowled a bit.

"I didn't know there was an Auror on the bus. He came charging out before I could say anything, didn't have much choice." Stan winced but nodded his ascent.

"Barmy insisted we have protection after the bus got hit with a stray tickling jinx - paranoid I'll tell you. Fudge weren't willing to have the Knight Bus stopped though, so he gave us the fattest, slowest, weakest Auror in the force." Harry sighed and shook his head.

"Look, we don't have much time. You're going to stumble out of here with your robes smoking a bit, having hexed a darkly robed unidentified assailant. You'll summon the Knight Bus and collapse in relief at safety, having run for your life, though never seeing your attacker chasing you, you...felt him chasing you perhaps?" Stan nodded weakly, wincing.

"Got you Harry. What's the problem though? Why all the fireworks?" Harry smirked for a moment before pulling something out of his robes.

"Means of communication. Don't let anyone take it or see it. You write on that, it copies to a piece of parchment I've got, and vice-versa. I suggest you charm it so only you can read it...in fact, I _very _strongly suggest it. You can't trust owls these days Stan." Stan swore quietly but nodded.

"Harry..." Harry shook his head, standing up.

"No time. You need to get back. Stand up." Stan stood before he thought, not questioning the tone behind Harry's voice. He stared at him as he pulled up his hood once more and became impossible to identify. He raised his wand to the hem of his robes and murmured a quiet curse. Stan felt smoke beginning to rise, and then Harry cut the curse off.

"Now run, dodge, I'm going to curse you." Stan's eyes widened but he understood. He looked too clean. He paused for that realization, but a curse destroying the wall just to his left awoke his feet. With a yell he ducked and sprinted away, hearing curses coming fast and hard all around him, blowing debris into the air and dirt onto him. He almost laughed...until he felt a curse hit him and send him flying head first into dog droppings. Really fearing for himself as curse barely missed his shoulder, he fled as if death itself was on his heels, feeling one last curse hitting his back and make him stumble, only painful enough to make him groan, but enough to make his pain and fear real enough to play a convincing act once he summoned the bus.

* * *

Harry sighed quietly as Stan disappeared in the distance. He hoped he hadn't hurt him too badly, but there was no chance he could walk out without a few curse marks on him. He purposely hadn't told him - this way hopefully he would play a convincing victim.

Without another thought, Harry quickly turned and began covering his previous apparition, and began working on creating a scenario that would be read when the magical resonances were checked. He thanked Rowena silently when he had finished before quickly fading into the shadows and striding silently away, walking for a good ten minutes before Disapparating quietly in a dark corner.

* * *

Tonks flushed as she always did as all eyes turned to her, and focused on Remus, sat across from her and staring away at the fireplace, not appearing to have heard a word all meeting. She swallowed, careful not to allow herself to become distracted, before letting out a long breath.

"We were patrolling Diagon Alley when an unidentified wizard came out of Gringotts in a rush. Levi talked me into pursuing him - he had concealment charms galore on his cloak, and muggle repellents as well. We followed him out through the Leaky Cauldron - he didn't notice us. I thought it was just going to be surveillance until Levi started shouting at him to stop. There was a muggle jogger going past at the time - he might have mistaken the order for him. The second time Levi shouted though, he paused, before going down an alley - basic ambush point. Levi's always been too confident, went in head first. It took a lot of orders, but he got the guy...might even have been a witch I suppose; the robes didn't show anything at all...anyhow, got him to stop. He told him to lower his hood a few times, and about the third time the...just say it was a guy, acting like one, too bloody stubborn. He went for his wand - course, we sent disarmers at him before he even got a grip. Interesting thing was though, all it did was make the wand fall to his feet and him lean back a bit. In practice we forced the dummy back thirty yards with the combined disarm." Dumbledore's eyes darkened for a moment.

"He didn't even take a step back?" Tonks flushed and shook her head.

"I think his robes must have been seriously charmed or something...either that or he's more powerful than..." She felt her voice trail off as mutterings filled the room. Dumbledore quickly called silence though.

"And then?" Tonks shrugged.

"I summoned the wand while Levi was gaping. When he got control of his jaw back, he ordered the hood off. The guy nodded, and made to reach up to it, and then he somehow had a wand in his hand, and he sent one of the fastest stunners I've ever seen at Levi. He was out before he got blown back." The room shuffled uncomfortably, tension clearly evident.

"What happened then?" Tonks shivered a bit, which was noted she noticed.

"I started sending stunners and hexes, but all it did was make him reel back a bit, and stumble back a few times. He sent a Petrificus Totalus at me before turning heel and running. Not much after that, except he was a bleeming fast bugger. Sent me running for about ten blocks before I lost him right in the middle of a muggle crowd. We searched the area, but no Disapparation happened." Dumbledore looked thoughtful, and confused.

"I know of very few wizards who could take curses like that, and would dress in that attire. Tom would definitely not send a stunner and a simple Petrificus Totalus and then run. It seems that whoever it was you met simply did not want to be identified." Tonks chewed her lip.

"He didn't do anything wrong that we could find. We checked with Gringotts, and they said that he was a confidential client, but there was by no means any illegal activity, and no one on the Alley had them in their shops...no one saw him actually until he left."

"You say you think his cloak was charmed? Why?" Tonks hesitated a moment.

"It had some serious concealment charms on it. I cast a revealer early on, didn't even make it blink. The fact he was covered from head to toe in it and how much a cloak like that must have cost...I don't think he was short on the gold." Dumbledore sighed heavily but nodded.

"Alright. We can discuss that further into the meeting. Anything else to report?" Tonks bit her lip and glanced back to Remus.

"I've visited Harry...twice." There was a silence in the room, and then an instant uproar. Remus slowly turned to face her, his eyes alight with question for the first time since the beginning of the meeting. She felt a small bubble of relief burst in her as Dumbledore summoned silence, and turned on her with a very controlled voice.

"Tonks, you are not even on guard duty for Privet Drive this summer. I have expressed many times that I do not want Harry contacted in such a manner." Tonks blushed darkly and lowered her head, swallowing.

"He asked me to go...and I did."

"Why'd he ask you? He barely knows you!" Tonks flushed even more as Molly was quietened by her husband.

"I don't know. He did though, and I think he needed the company." Dumbledore watched her very sharply.

"Well?" Tonks let out a shaky breath.

"He's obviously depressed...and lonely. He's eating better than he has done before from what I've heard, and those prats aren't making him do the chores. He's spending all of his time in his room, studying. I think he's a bit...annoyed at you sir. He didn't really want me to tell you...anything." Dumbledore's age seemed to creep up on him as a brief spark of pain could be seen before it disappeared completely.

"I understand the reasoning behind that. How is he reacting to...the death?" Tonks winced as Remus turned away for a moment again.

"He hasn't mentioned it. It was a bit unnerving actually, if I didn't know better, I'd either say he's already got over it, or he's pushed it completely aside to deal with later." There were more than a few murmurs at that.

"If I call for silence one more time I will silence each and every one of you until the reports are finished!" Tonks smiled a bit as everyone shrunk back from Dumbledore. He turned back to Tonks, his annoyance and anger obvious.

"That is not good. You said he's been studying?" Tonks bit her lip and nodded.

"I've noticed all his school books out and about...and some others. I only managed to glance them, but they're definitely not school reading, and they're not Quidditch...I suppose one could have been a diary or something, but there was half a dozen or so in sight." Dumbledore seemed to chew on that for a long moment.

"I wonder where he got them? He hasn't received an owl since he returned." Tonks looked at him sharply.

"You're monitoring his mail?" Dumbledore glanced at her in surprise.

"Of course. How else do you expect me to make sure he doesn't get curses sent to blow him to pieces?" Tonks fumed for a moment.

"Do you have any idea how much he kept asking me from reporting to you? He doesn't seem to trust you at all. Are you giving him any privacy?" Dumbledore shrank for a moment, while everyone else stared her outburst in surprise. She even noticed Snape smiling in his peculiar manner at her.

"I am not spying on him, I assure you. I simply am insuring his privacy. Now, if you would care to get back to your report. Have you any idea what he is learning?" Tonks hesitated, knowing she couldn't tell an outright lie to the man.

"I think I saw a book on wandless magic, but I'm not sure...and even if it was, the time it takes to learn even the simplest of that is extraordinary." Dumbledore looked troubled for a moment but nodded.

"If that's all..."

"Actually sir, he gave me some things to deliver, and some...instructions I suppose." Dumbledore stared at her for a moment.

"Indeed?" She swallowed and pulled out his piece of parchment, handing it to him. He looked down at it, bemused, and pulled out his wand, waving it a few times and muttering under her breath. Tonks felt a small smile tug at her lips as she watched the most powerful wizard alive puzzle over it for a minute.

"Begging you pardon sir, but he can't do magic can he? It won't have a spell hidden." Dumbledore looked a bit sheepish for a moment.

"Ah, of course. What is it then?" Tonks glanced around the room, and then quickly passed on Moody's piece as well.

"It's a piece of parchment. When you write on it, he gets the message, vice-versa." Dumbledore blinked and then his eyes widened. He quickly summoned a quill and scribbled on the parchment, watching the writing fade. There was a long silence and then he sighed.

"He obviously isn't paying attention to the parchment at the moment. Perhaps he is asleep. How..." Tonks cut him off.

"That was part of the instructions sir. He said any questions about where it came from or how he got it should be asked to him, and that if you try and invade my mind, he said...he said you can forget him doing anything for the good of the wizarding world." The silence in the room was almost painful. Dumbledore coughed gently and stared down at his piece of parchment for a long moment hopefully, but nothing appeared. He sighed and squeezed his eyes shut before turning back to her, his gaze harder.

"You do realize you went against a direct order visiting Harry, don't you?" Tonks gulped but nodded.

"I do." Dumbledore's gaze seemed to pierce her for a long moment.

"What has he said to you?" Tonks bit her lip for a moment.

"That I can pass onto you without betraying his trust totally? He wants me to visit again." Dumbledore stared at her for a long moment.

"Why don't we have one of those parchments? You gave one to Alastor..." Tonks sighed.

"I have one from Ron and Ginny, as well as Hermione, Neville and Luna. I'm to deliver them in person though. I think since he's given two to your kids...I can't imagine how much it must of cost him to get all of these. And I guess he gave Mad Eye one because he might have some questions to help with his studying." Molly made to argue back but was once again quietened by Arthur. Tonks suddenly jumped, remembering and passed Remus his piece, at which he looked extremely relieved to receive, before Dumbledore called her attention again.

"Eight pairs?" Tonks shook her head.

"I've got one as well." Dumbledore frowned.

"I don't even have that many. I have two, with my brother, and a very old friend. I wonder how he managed to get such a quantity..." A sudden gasp from Remus caught everyone's attention. Tonks glanced over to find him scribbling away with a quill in his hand, more active than anyone had seen him in days. There was the utmost silence, and then a small smile began to hover around his lips. Dumbledore glanced down at his own parchment while everyone's attention was on Remus, and Tonks was sure she was the only one who caught the expression of pain and hurt on the old man's face. He let out a long shaky breath before his 'poker face' came back up.

"What does he say Remus?" Remus suddenly paused in his scribbles. His eyes darkened for a moment before he swallowed.

"He's alright, and he didn't send the note today because of these..." Remus's eyes read over another line.

"And the rest is of a personal nature that doesn't really mean anything." Dumbledore's eyes darkened at the flat statement, but he conceded.

"Very well. Does he sound alright though Remus?" Remus wrote a quick reply, and waited for the response. His face covered with worry for a moment, but he nodded.

"He says he perfectly fine, and that if you attempt to pull anything from Tonks's mind, he's not...he won't go back to Hogwarts, and you won't find him at Privet Drive next time you look for him." The whole room paled. Remus glanced up worriedly.

"I think he's serious Dumbledore." Dumbledore glanced for a long moment at Tonks before nodding, his defeat obvious.

"Very well, tell him that I won't extract any information, but I would greatly appreciate him talking to me later..." He cut off as scribbles became clear on his own parchment. His eyes shone for a brief moment before widening in alarm.

"What is it Albus?" Dumbledore appeared speechless for a moment before glanced at Remus.

"You didn't write that statement I just said did you?" Remus shook his head slowly. Dumbledore furiously took up his quill.

"He answered me as though he heard it. I'm asking him what he means..." Dumbledore's eyes widened even more as his reply came through.

"What's he say?" Dumbledore looked worried.

"He told me he meant exactly what I said he meant...I said?" Dumbledore's writing was absolutely furious, and then his whole face paled. He shakily dropped the quill.

"Albus! What's wrong?" Dumbledore stared at the parchment as messages came through fast and strong. He stared around the room sharply, and then cast a locking charm at the door.

"Severus, I think we might have a visitor."

"Harry's here?"

"WHAT!"

"How?"

"He's not Albus, I can't see him." Dumbledore stared at Moody but waited for Snape to finish his sweep of the room.

"I can't find anyone Albus." Dumbledore look at a loss for himself.

"But how..." His parchment began to fill with writing again, as if answering his question. Dumbledore stared down at it before weakly slumping in his seat and unlocking the door. He watched the parchment, paled some more, and then looked incredibly guilty and pained. Everyone watched as he took a few shaky breaths.

"He has...requested I read this out." Everyone knew immediately it was no request. Dumbledore looked particularly weak and defeated; with such an air of age they knew whatever Harry was writing to him had affected him deeply.

_"We have a war coming. If you want it to end without unnecessary bloodshed, and with Voldemort defeated, you will stop keeping things from me. The parchment is only one of many means I have of learning what I am not told. You know what I am talking about Dumbledore, hide it from me, and you know the cost."_

The room seemed to tremble at the words. Dumbledore slumped in his seat while Snape jumped to his feet, face livid.

"You little prat! How dare you think you can dictate what we do! You're nothing! You're absolutely nothing but a measling..." He was cut off by Remus quiet chuckles.

"Harry said as happy as he would be to listen to you make a fool of yourself shut it Snivellus before you dig yourself a hole." Snape's eyes widened in unconcealed rage as there were gasps around the room.

"YOU LITTLE BAST..." There was a loud pop, and suddenly Snape was duck, quacking away violently. A roar of laughter rose up in one part of the room, while everyone else flew to their feet, wands drawn and looking violently around the room for a target.

"He says...that you should not underestimate him. He's not going to sit back and take it anymore...oh and unless you manage to get someone to change you back, you'll be stuck like that for three hours." Dumbledore sighed quietly, but managed to gain everyone's attention.

"Harry, how did you do that?" There was a silence until Remus spoke up.

"He said he's been studying." Dumbledore scowled. Remus choked for a second.

"He just said don't scowl, you're hardly more forthcoming." Dumbledore looked around in alarm. Tonks had never seen him taken more off balance.

"He says stop looking around for him, he's not where you're looking." Dumbledore groaned quietly.

"Why the games Harry?" There was a small pause, and then Remus's voice sounded rather cold.

"He said he's dancing, just as you danced around him for five years of his life...what is he talking about Albus?" Everyone shivered as a barely concealed growl escaped his last sentence. It was extremely rare for Remus to show his wolf. Dumbledore conjured himself a damp cloth and bathed his forehead for a moment.

"I believe that is for Harry to tell you. Now Harry, if you will kindly leave us to finish our meeting?" There was a silence and then Moody let out a bark of laughter.

"He said make him." Dumbledore's face darkened and he took out his wand. He began murmuring darkly under his breath, long unintelligible words. Tonks felt the back of her neck prickle at the magic in the air and the intakes of breath told her that everyone else in the room felt it as well. There was a loud pop, and then Dumbledore slumped gently, obviously drained.

"There. I just created in affect a vacuum. It should have cut off the enchantments on the parchments." They waited in silence for a minute, but there were no messages.

"Very well, let's continue with the reports before we speak about this. Mun..." Remus started chuckling, drawing everyone's attention again.

"Oh Harry, you are most definitely James's son." Dumbledore stared at him.

"Excuse me?" Remus glanced at him in amusement.

"He says you'd do well to respect your youth." Dumbledore looked completely lost.

"But that incantation banishes all external magical..."

"He says don't think he didn't expect something like that from you, and you shouldn't underestimate what he is capable of. I'd rather agree Albus." Dumbledore looked completely lost and shocked.

"But it's not possible to counteract..." There was silence as Remus began to read.

"He said he's leaving you in peace now, but he expects to be told about developments. If he's not...he'll come again, and it doesn't matter if the parchments are in the room or not. He says...it doesn't matter even if you change locations, he'll know and hear...says solve that riddle." There was a snort somewhere deep in the group but other than that silence. Dumbledore shook his head almost as in denial for the longest moment before slowly letting out a long breath.

"I'll speak to you in the morning." There was a long silence, and then a very suddenly, and very violent crack of Apparition had them on their feet in seconds. Tonks felt her eyes widen as just in front of her a little box had appeared. Carefully she leant down and picked it up, glancing questionably at everyone else. Only receiving stares back she gently opened it, and stared at its contents.

Inside was a simple strip of paper, stating 'I am the wind, I am the air, I am the breath, I am the heart - I cannot be shed'

* * *

Harry smirked as he appeared back in his room, tossing off his invisibility cloak and carefully disabling the multiple concealment, silencing, cloaking, and magical cleansing charms he had had around him. He wished he could say he was happy with the way it had turned out, but instead he felt uncomfortably empty. He managed a nod and a smile at Rowena at the mission accomplished, before he unpacked the parchments and his quill onto his desk. With a quick thought, his robes transfigured into pyjamas. A sharp click and command later everything incriminating in his room flew into his trunk, which locked. Finally, after glancing around the pitch black room once, he climbed into bed and feigned sleep, just in time for Fawkes to appear at his window and silently, believed to be unseen, survey his room and he himself. Silently chanting a very useful old Confundus charm under his breath, he slowly and careful manipulated the phoenix into believing him fast asleep. With a silent rise of wings, it flew from his window and disappeared in a flash of fire. Harry let out a pained breath as he unfocussed his mind, curling up tightly as the cost of using so much magic began to catch up with him. The last charm had cost him the most, and on a magical creature it was more than he could take. He welcomingly embraced his unconscious state.

**A/N:** For regular story updates and notifications, please join my Yahoo Group which can be found on my profile  
  
[#]Beta needed[#]


	7. Chapter Seven

**Chapter Seven**

Tonks let out a long sigh as she drained the remainder of her coffee into the sink. Last nights meeting hadn't gone well, and she, along with a good number of other members felt rather drained. Molly in particular had been extremely aggressive in her arguments.

As soon as the message Harry had given her had been disclosed to Dumbledore, he had summoned Fawkes and sent him to Privet Drive to see what Harry was up to, undetected of course. A lot of people commented on how shocked Dumbledore looked at reading the contents of the note. It was obvious they had some meaning to him, even if they didn't mean anything to anyone else other than a fancy you-can't-hide-from-me message.

Tonks, who had initially been worried about Harry being much too over his head, was as surprised as everyone else when Fawkes came back, and Dumbledore announced that Harry was in bed, fast asleep, and there was nothing amiss in his room at all, except the twins parchments on his desk. The only thing of interest they had found was that he apparently had one more pair of parchments that they didn't know of marked only with an X.

It had taken an awful lot for Dumbledore to settle the Order. Finally he had caused a magic blast that knocked everyone back in their seats, and to their senses. It was obvious that he was agitated, a mood he was very rarely seen in.

The rest of the reports had come through, being the normal things. The only one that really mattered to Tonks was Snape's report, but even he was almost apologetic with his lack of information. All he knew was that You-Know-Who was apoplectic with rage over losing his inner-circle, and was planning to liberate them from Azkaban as soon as possible. That, and Fudge was making their job much too easy. It had been with that that the discussions had started, and gone long into the early hours of the morning. The topic? Harry of course.

Tonks wondered vaguely if Harry knew just how much he was discussed at their meetings on a regular basis, never mind simply last night. Last night had been...chaotic. While everyone was shocked by how he had spoken to Dumbledore, and his tone being demanding rather than how you would expect a fifteen year old to sound, Dumbledore had quietly said he had every right, and left it at that.

The speculations on how Harry had infiltrated the meetings were Tonks favourite. It went from him being an Animagus of a spider, to him possessing a member. Then how he had actually managed to Apparate...or whatever he did to leave that box was argued over. The anti-apparition charms in the wards made even Dumbledore have to use Floo or walk through the front door. No one could understand how he had done it.

On top of all the speculation there was Molly's anger at not being included in whatever Harry knew, Remus's outrage that something Dumbledore had done had obviously hurt Harry, and Snape's biting comments about how his head was growing to big to be contained. A raging debate had filled the room, stopping only when someone was stunned for one of their comments.

Dumbledore had been absolutely livid at that. Tonks shivered at even the memory. He seemed to shine with a power that forced them all silent and obedient. He had ordered the meeting over, sworn them not to say a word, and said he would speak to Harry in the morning, and get answers. Tonks was worried exactly what he meant when he said he would speak to him - she had never seen an Order meeting so uncivilised before, and all because Harry Potter had trashed it. He certainly knew how to make a bang.

She wasn't really sure what to do this morning. Last night as everyone left, Dumbledore had taken her aside and told her in a tone that allowed no arguments that he was accompanying her to Privet Drive. She really didn't want to have to choose between Harry and Dumbledore.

Of course, she understood how Harry needed to be disciplined. He shouldn't have done what he had last night, and he had caused almost a miniature civil war in the Order. She understood though how he said he had a right to know what was going on. He was the top on Voldemort's hit list for Christ's sake! More people expected him to end the war than expected Dumbledore to. She also had an inkling that she didn't know everything as well. She knew Dumbledore wouldn't concede defeat so easily just because of the same reason Harry had had every other year of his life.

Dumbledore on the other hand was her boss pretty much. He ruled the Order for the good of the wizarding world, no matter how much it seemed to focus on Harry every now and again. She couldn't put priority over the wizarding world for Harry.

"Tonks?" Tonks jumped violently back from where she had been staring out of the window in thought, groaning silently as she saw Dumbledore standing wearily behind her, lines of age covering his face.

"Sir?" Dumbledore gestured to the fire.

"Perhaps we should get going, if you are ready?" She swallowed hard.

"You're not going to be too hard on him sir, are you? I mean you can hardly blame him since..." Dumbledore raised a tired hand as he reached for the Floo powder.

"Don't worry. We'll be Flooing to Arabella's, and then Apparating straight into his room, alright? I rather think his relatives won't appreciate our presence in the neighbourhood." Tonks narrowed her eyes at the mention of the Dursleys, wondering vaguely if she would be able to sneak them a small hex before they left. A good part of last night had been Molly and Arthur complaining about Harry's relatives, which had opened more than a few eyes. Tonks knew they weren't nice, but a cupboard under the stairs! Even Snape had shown some emotion at that, though his sneer was back in place less than a minute later.

"Please leave the Dursleys alone Tonks. I will deal with them once Harry is out of their care. For now it is necessary they allow him to remain." She grunted a reply and took the offered Floo powder, wondering if she could sneak a curse in when he left them then.

* * *

When Tonks appeared in Harry's room with the trademark crack, she was surprised to see Harry staring straight at her calmly. Every other time she had arrived he had reacted amazingly quickly and had a wand pointing at her before she could even open her mouth.

"Hi Tonks." She glanced to her side, but to her surprise found Dumbledore wasn't there.

"Erm..." Harry's face darkened a bit.

"Is someone meant to be with you?" Tonks flushed a bit but nodded, looking around carefully. Perhaps he was invisible; she'd heard he could do that without a cloak. Surely though he would have told her his plans before she Apparated so she wouldn't give him away.

"Erm...Professor Dumbledore was supposed to be but..." Harry's cold chuckle cut her off.

"Oh, don't worry; he shouldn't be able to get in." Tonks frowned.

"What?" He gave her a small smile before picking his wand up and lazily making his bed.

"The wards around the room won't let him through. I specifically tuned them against his intrusion."

"What! You...you what?" Harry sighed quietly, glancing at of the window.

"I didn't want him just popping in whenever he felt like it, or setting up something to keep an eye on me. He can't get into this room unless I specifically give him permission. I expect he's walking here right now." Tonks swallowed, worried. Dumbledore definitely wasn't going to be in a good mood.

"But...why? He's not going to like that!" Harry shrugged.

"He's not going to get any answers from me that I don't want to give, and he's definitely not going to spy on me. I saw Fawkes last night." Tonks paled a bit. Dumbledore had told Fawkes to stay out of sight and phoenixes were very powerful creatures. If they didn't want to be seen, they normally weren't.

"I..." She was interrupted as his bedroom door suddenly glowed blue. Harry's smile disappeared.

"Oh he's here already. You would have thought after all those years he would have learnt to knock." Tonks stared at him. She had no idea what had happened between the two of them, but there was no need to aggravate the man. She didn't care if Harry had beaten her in two duels, Dumbledore would squash him like a bug if he wanted to.

She watched him carelessly wave his wand towards the door, and slowly the blue light shrunk until it was only glowing around the handle. He pocketed his wand just as the door clicked and opened of its own accord. Tonks took a step back, waiting for the roar of power to hit her.

To her surprise, she simply found Dumbledore walking slowly in, looking pained and tired. He glanced slowly at them both before resting his eyes on Harry, who gestured to his desk chair. With a bit of a smile he carefully took the seat, his eyes glancing over the pieces of parchment on the desk sharply before turning back to Harry.

"What have you been doing Harry?" Harry shrugged, calmly sitting against his headboard.

"I just put up some more personal wards." Dumbledore sighed quietly.

"How, and why?" Harry glanced over at him as he brought his legs up and crossed them in front of him.

"I think you know how I did it, and because I preferred you not to simply come in here and be able to disrupt my privacy." There was a small silence.

"How did you put up the wards without using your wand?" Harry didn't budge an inch.

"I've been studying." Tonks looked uneasily between the two. She didn't like this at all.

"Oh sorry Tonks." There was a small pop and she found a simply wooden chair behind her. She stared at him, not having seen him make any gesture of a kind, before gingerly taking a seat. Dumbledore looked interested.

"How did you do that?" Harry didn't pause for breath.

"I've been studying." She watched as Dumbledore's eyes slowly closed, and his breath came slowly.

"Are you going to answer any of my questions Harry?" Harry shrugged gently.

"You already probably know what I will and what I won't answer. You'll ask anyway." Dumbledore shook his head slowly before leaning forward in his seat.

"How did you interrupt our meeting yesterday evening?" Harry blinked once.

"I've been studying." Tonks gave him a stern glare, but only got a small smile in response.

"Why are you doing this Harry?" Harry blanched for the briefest moment.

"Because I'm tired of waiting for answers. If you won't tell me, I'll just have to find out myself won't I?" Dumbledore sighed quietly.

"You haven't given me chance to tell you anything Harry...since the end of term. Last night was the first Order meeting since then." Harry nodded.

"I know. Had to make an impression though didn't I? Seems to have worked as well." Tonks shuffled.

"Do you know you caused a fight last night?" Harry looked surprised for the briefest instance.

"Unless it contained Snape, I can't guess why." Tonks bit down her smile at that.

"They were arguing about just how you managed to get into the room." Harry frowned a bit.

"Who said I was in the room?" Dumbledore looked up at that for a brief instant, before glancing down again as if in thought. She had suspicion it definitely wasn't just that though. Harry leaned forward as well.

"Yes sir, you've noticed. It's potions residue. Take some to Snape if you want. It was only a healing potion." Dumbledore sighed again and looked up.

"Why would you want to make a healing potion Harry? You don't look hurt." Harry looked at him calmly.

"I'm stocking up." Dumbledore glanced sideways at Tonks.

"Where's your wand Harry?" Harry gestured to his bedside table. Dumbledore nodded.

"Would you object to me experimenting with it?" Harry shook his head, a small smile playing on his lip.

"By all means professor, try and summon a second wand. I don't know how you suppose I'd have one though." Dumbledore's face shone in surprise for a moment before fading away to a small twinkle.

"Very well. _Accio wands_!" Tonks felt her wand wrenched from her robes as Harry's flew from the bedside table. There were no other wands summoned though to her surprise.

"Satisfied?" Dumbledore frowned but nodded, tossing their respective wands back.

"Very well Harry. Could you tell me how you managed to bypass my wards I put up last night?" Harry smiled.

"Not to hard to figure out sir. You should do that yourself." There was a small groan but an uncomfortable silence was all that followed.

"BOY! GET DOWN HERE THIS INSTANT!" Tonks felt herself begin to rise with her wand, but Harry coughed, stopping her in her tracks.

"What Uncle Vernon?" There was a long silence.

"I said GET DOWN HERE!" Harry shrugged.

"No, do it yourself!" There was a roar of rage.

"YOU'LL EARN YOUR KEEP BOY!" Harry scowled.

"Get Dudley to do it, he eats all the food in the house anyhow!" There was an audible splutter, and then the unmistakable stampede of someone heavy climbing the stairs. Tonks saw Dumbledore slowly turn towards the door, his eyes alight.

"This is going to get interesting..." Harry gave her a small smile before turning back to the door. It suddenly glowed a violent purple, and there was a muffled shriek of pain on the other side. Tonks looked at Harry in surprise.

"What?" She gave him a quick grin.

"Great wards." Dumbledore glanced over, looking slightly amused himself.

"Yes, but could you let him in Harry?" Harry sighed but nodded, and a second later the door clicked open and Vernon Dursley stumbled in.

"YOU LITTLE UNGRATEFUL BA..." He cut off short when he realized that Harry wasn't alone. His eyes seemed to retreat even furthur into his skull before his purple face began to hint black.

"How dare you invite people into my house! Get out! OUT I SAY!" Dumbledore looked amazed at the man's audacity.

"Uncle Vernon, meet Albus Dumbledore, most powerful wizard alive, and Nymphadora Tonks, one of our version of the police force." Tonks noticed with a cold chill that the moment 'police' was mentioned, Dursley backed away.

"What...what do you want?" Dumbledore looked the man up and down in disgust.

"I want you to leave Harry alone and let him live how he so wishes." Vernon's face began to darken again in anger, but a quick glance at Dumbledore's wand seemed to allow him to cut off his anger.

"As long as the brat keeps out of my way and earns his keep."

"Earn my keep? I haven't taken any food or clothes from you since I got back! If anything the only thing I owe you is rent for the room!" Dumbledore's head whipped back to Vernon.

"You haven't been feeding him!" Vernon took several steps back and began to stutter violently.

"I...he...he...he hasn't come down for food." Harry chuckled.

"Couldn't have cared less could have you? You're just lucky I had my own food. If you're that fussed about the rent, I'll pay you for it." His uncle's eyes widened.

"You! Pay! HA! You don't have a dime..." Dumbledore's eyes narrowed a bit.

"I left you rather a substantial sum Vernon Dursley to make sure this boy was catered for well." Vernon stared at him for moment in pure confusion.

"What are you talking about you old codger..." Harry grinned evilly at his uncle.

"If you had shown just a teeny bit of interest in the wizarding world, you would have found a quarter of a million pounds put aside for my living costs." Tonks felt her eyes widen along with Vernon's, but hers ran without the maniac greed.

"That's it is it? Well you can get me that money and..." Harry chuckled.

"Uncle Vernon, please give me one reason why I should give you it, since I am the only person able to withdraw it?"

"I took you in boy! I put a roof over your head and clothes on your back..."

"You put me in the cupboard under the stairs and gave me Dudley's leftovers. You didn't take me in, Aunt Petunia did." There was a very dark silence in the room.

"I put food on your plate..."

"After I cooked it!"

"You didn't cook all the time!" Harry scowled.

"Oh yes, before the age of four I couldn't hold the pan could I?" Vernon went very red when two wands turned sharply on him.

"Fine! Keep your money, but you're not coming back next summer!" Harry looked infinitely calm considering.

"I'd move out now more than happily."

"THEN DO IT! Get out! I'd have lived a happy life if I'd never heard of you! You and your freaky..."

"That is quite enough Dursley. Harry is staying here until I chose otherwise!"

"I will not have that ungrateful..." Suddenly Vernon was flying backwards. He crashed into the wall and slumped to the floor, his many chins wobbling violently as he went unconscious. Both Tonks and Dumbledore looked to Harry who was calmly getting up from his bed, no wand in sight.

"Perhaps we should go for a walk?" Without getting an answer he opened his trunk with a murmured word and pulled out his cloak, keeping it open and the hood down though, giving it a resemblance to the school cloaks.

"Harry, did you use your wand?" Harry shook his head, pocketing his wand from the bedside table.

"No. The Ministry can't detect it, don't worry...well, that, and I did put up some useful wards around my room." Dumbledore frowned a bit but slowly shook his head and stepped over the colossal form of Vernon Dursley.

"You should really attempt to control you magic." Harry glanced at him as he ushered Tonks forward.

"My magic was completely under my control." A shiver ran through the air. Tonks gave him a weak grin.

"Be thankful he only knocked him out. I was about to curse him silly." Dumbledore gave her a stern look before turning to leave again.

"Be thankful you didn't, I had something much more spectacular planned." Tonks laughed as she skipped over him, quietly adding a boils curse as Dumbledore began descending the stairs. Harry gave her a little grin before pushing her gently forward, waving his hand to lock his door, and then quickly following the headmaster out of the house.

"Where to Harry?" Harry shrugged, glancing around.

"The park I suppose. Shouldn't you put up something to distract the muggles? You're in robes and I'm in a cloak." Dumbledore nodded and waved his wand over them, mumbling a quiet charm before doing the same to himself. Tonks glanced at Harry who gave her a small wink before pointing over his shoulder and sending a blue beam at Number Four. She had absolutely no idea what he'd done, but she had an idea she didn't want to be around for the aftermath.

"It seems you're correct, there has been no owl. How did you work around that?" Harry shrugged a bit.

"A version of what you did last night. Ministry can't detect anything in my bedroom." Dumbledore seemed to chew on that for a moment.

"You do understand how dangerous that is if you are caught? You could be expelled...well, it is common practice for the wand to be immediately snapped if you are caught." Harry's face darkened a bit.

"I won't get caught. No one can get in my room without my express permission." Dumbledore inclined a bit before looking around.

"Where is..."

"Left sir." Tonks glanced around quietly, a bit unnerved the streets were empty and quiet.

"Where were your aunt and cousin Harry?" Harry scowled a bit, kicking up some dirt.

"She took him out to buy a new computer." There was an uncomfortable silence until they came upon the park, which was empty as well. Tonks really didn't like this. Sure, it was early, but there were kids around this time last year...

"Sir?" Dumbledore paused and looked down at Harry.

"Yes Harry?" Harry glanced up briefly.

"Any particular reason the wards are being brought down?" Dumbledore stopped so suddenly Tonks nearly walked into him.

"What?" Harry stopped as well, sliding his wand into his hand.

"The wards are beginning to fail." Dumbledore frowned and pulled out a watch from inside his robes. He seemed to let out a great breath.

"They're fine Harry, perfectly intact. Whatever makes you say that?" Harry glared at Dumbledore for a moment.

"The fact their collapsing around us." Dumbledore stared and glanced back down at his watch, shaking his head again.

"Harry, they're perfectly..." Harry grunted.

"Oh yes, believe the watch over me. Give it five seconds." Tonks already had her wand in hand and was glancing around. Dumbledore stared at Harry, and then she felt it, just as she heard it. A loud crackle, and a shiver of magical resonance, and she knew Harry had been right. Dumbledore's eyes widen and his wand was in hand in a second. His other hand reached for Harry and pulled him behind him.

"We need to get you back to Number Four..."

_"Stupefy!" _Dumbledore was cut off as Harry hit a wizard who had just Apparated right between the eyes with his stunner.

"I think we should _all_ get out of here sir." With that he suddenly pulled Dumbledore down, just in time for a killing curse to miss him. Dumbledore landed sprawled on the floor with a small oomph. Tonks ducked a curse and looked wildly around for a target, finding none.

"Sir!" Dumbledore looked up bring up his wand and firing a stunner directly at a tree. There was a yell and a Death Eater went flying backwards.

"Invisibility..."

_"Accio invisibility cloaks!"_ There were yells of outrage as Harry suddenly summoned all of the cloaks, and massive numbers of Death Eater's appeared from all corners. Dumbledore got quickly to his feet, stunning another two in the process while Tonks petrified three and blew away a fourth.

"We need backup." Dumbledore nodded and after stunning another Death Eater and sidestepping a hex quickly reached into his robes and pulled out a tail feather...a phoenix tail feather. With a quick whisper it disappeared in flames.

_"Protego! Nenimias!"_ Tonks gasped as she stunned another. Harry's wand seemed to be charging a black light and his face was screwed up in concentration. Dumbledore yelled an unfamiliar curse and blew up three Death Eaters' before shoving Harry to a side and cursing another, but Harry's concentration never broke. She stunned while watching a bead of perspiration run down his forehead, and felt the tingling of magic beginning to build up. The Death Eater's obviously felt it was well, because they paused unsure. That was opportunity enough for them to stun a few more, and for Harry to finish building up his spell it seemed. With a triumphant yell he let loose the black light.

The curse was amazing. The light spiralled out like a vortex of power, with a speed almost unfollowable. It reached the nearest group of Death Eaters, and suddenly seemed to implode. The whole street rocked at the impact. While Tonks found her balance on Harry's shoulder, she watched as her vision settled on where the explosion originated, only to find all the Death Eater's staring at each other in surprise. They seemed to check each other over before growling and raising their wands to curse them.

Those who cast the killing curse were worst off, no doubt, but the other hexes were still extremely nasty. Tonks watched in horror as the curses charged, but double backed on their owners rather than at them, watching the whole group of Death Eater's fall with screams or silence to the road. The only silent ones were the dead ones.

"Sir, perhaps we should..." There was a yell and suddenly Tonks cried out as a curse impacted with her side. She screamed in pain as she felt her skin beginning to eat away under whatever curse was on her, and collapsed to the floor. Before she could draw her breath for a second scream Harry was already at her side, muttering quickly under his breath and casting healing charms before stunning the three wizards approaching with amazing accuracy. He pulled a vial from his robes while Dumbledore began to draw the attention of the street, shining with power as he began to set a rhythm to his curses and bring down the Death Eater's quickly and efficiently. They had taken him by surprise; it was obvious the surprise was over.

Tonks cried out as she felt the cold potion run over her burning skin, feeling distinctly dizzy. She heard Harry say something, and then there was a sudden wrench in her side and the pain stopped. She groaned quietly in relief and felt Harry's hand squeeze her shoulder as he sent another stunner off.

"Can you fight?" Tonks grunted once as her vision began to become much clearer and her right hand side had feeling returned to it. She saw Harry give her a smile before shouting something she didn't recognize at a Death Eater, who suddenly found himself being strangled by his own robes. She felt him pulling her to her feet and then suddenly behind a fence to avoid a Reductor curse. She gasped and looked wildly around for her wand, realizing it wasn't in her hand anymore. She almost collapsed when Harry placed it in her hand.

"They're beginning to concentrate on Dumbledore. He's just been caught with a Crucio." Tonks winced painfully and grabbed his arm as he made to go back round the corner, wrenching him back.

"No, you're top priority, Apparate back to your room." Harry stared at her as if she was mad.

"But they've got him cornered!" Tonks winced.

"Apparate back! You're top priority! That means we make you safe, then Dumbledore." Harry growled and wrenched his arm free.

"I'm not leaving him...he's dropped his wand!" Tonks stared at him. She could just barely hear the curses coming from around the corner.

"Apparate to your room before I force you!" Harry stared at her before his expression suddenly closed off completely. Tonks felt a horrible pain in her gut as he suddenly raised his wand. She raised a shield but to her surprise he began muttering something long and fast. She felt her eyes widen in realisation before she gave a yell of anger as with a loud crack she was forced out of the area.

* * *

"Tonks? Nice of you to drop...what's wrong dear?" Tonks growled in frustration as tears began to run. She stared around her quickly, wiping her eyes furiously. She was at the Burrow.

"Molly! Where's Arthur?"

"I'm here, what's wrong?" She gasped in relief.

"Little Whinging, by the park. The wards are down. They got Dumbledore, Harry's gone after him!" Arthur paled and ran to the door, shouting his eldest.

"WHAT? You left him..." Tonks shook her head, readying herself for apparition.

"No, he forced me here...get some help Molly for Christ's sake!"

* * *

Harry took a breath when he was sure Tonks was gone and wouldn't be able to come back any time soon. He quickly wrapped his cloak around him and pulled up his hood, clenching his wand tightly before quickly striding towards where the laughter was coming from.

"Look at him lads! Ain't so great now is..." The Death Eater cursing Dumbledore suddenly looked up at Harry's approach. His mouth opened in question but Harry had his wand pointed at his heart already.

_"Flipendo!"_ The man cried out as he flew backwards through the crowd gathered behind him, knocking them down rather like bowling pins. Harry didn't pause for breath and set a Reductor to the feet of the group on the right, sending them flying backwards into those behind them as well. His advantage lost, he quickly summoned his watch's shield and braced himself, breaking into full sprint while summoning his own shield. He felt his magic merging with that of his robes and watch, and felt curses colliding with it as one, almost knocking him off of his feet. He grunted as he leaned to a side, avoiding the main barrage enough to continue on his way forward. He shouted out a fog jinx, pushing it forward with all of his might and groaning painfully at the effort of combining his shield and jinx. He stumbled, and just as well, for he inadvertently dodged a killing curse.

_"Erigo!"_ He dove to the right as the green beam left his wand, slamming into the group in front of him with such force they flew backwards as if the Hammer of Thor itself had stuck them. Rolling to his feet he risked bringing down his shield and gathered his focus.

_"Accio Dumbledore!"_ The moment he felt the summoning spell work, he knew he didn't have enough strength to Apparate himself, never mind Dumbledore as well. He grabbed the old man's arm as he barrelled towards him and pushed them both behind a fence hard, crying out as he felt a stray curse impact with his calf. He collapsed, but just managed to do so behind the cover of the stone fence he had found. Ignoring the burning sensation in his leg he hoisted himself over to Dumbledore, who was bleeding from a wound on the head, and looked sickeningly fragile. He lifted his arm weakly with his wand and gasped out a stunner. Harry head someone collapse behind him and someone else round the corner. He reached as much as he could and managed to grab the hem of Dumbledore's robe before feeling his watches shield shatter containing a Reductor curse. He cried out in pain as he felt the aftermath of the curse and desperately clamoured for his watch as he heard the killing curse being screamed by more than one voice. He felt the sparking utterly unnatural power of the dark beams and then a heart rendering wrench as the green glow filled Dumbledore's glasses.

**A/N:** For regular story updates and notifications, please join my Yahoo Group which can be found on my profile  
  
[#]Beta needed[#]


	8. Chapter Eight

**Chapter Eight**

Albus Dumbledore opened his eyes, feeling the weight on his shoulders much greater than it had been when he had awoken that morning. For the longest moment he stayed still, listening carefully to noises around him, and gently feeling out the magic. He was in a room, with very strong wards, and his wand was...to his left, less than a metre away.

"Sir, I know you're awake. We're perfectly safe for the moment, don't worry." Dumbledore's eyes snapped open to see Harry moving around his front desk, upon which were multiple cauldrons and ingredients.

"Harry?" He grimaced at the shake to his own voice. Judging by the lack significant response from his limbs, his age was catching up with him. Harry glanced over at him, emerald eyes travelling around him for a moment before he turned back to his potions and muttered something under his breath.

"You got washed in the aftermath of the Killing curse...we both did actually." Dumbledore felt his eyes widened as he remembered the beams bearing down on them, and his helplessness. He hadn't even been able to lift his wand to even attempt some sort of shield. It was on rare occasion he was that weak.

"What happened Harry?" Harry glanced at him for a moment before stirring his potion several times clockwise. He looked unnervingly calm.

"Portkey. I just managed to activate it before we were hit." Dumbledore nodded slowly, resting his head back. He didn't have the strength to appear stern. He had rather the impression that Harry would never stop surprising him.

"And we are in your room?" Harry nodded vaguely as he sprinkled what looked like crushed mandrake root.

"Yeah. I've put the wards around it up to full strength, only owls and that should be able to get through." With that he carefully poured a measure of the potion he was making into a cup and moved to his side, eyes sparkling in what appeared to be amusement.

"And no, I didn't make an illegal portkey." Dumbledore frowned gently as Harry gave him the potion, resting it on his chest.

"Then how..." Harry grinned a bit.

"Preset emergency portkey, perfectly legal by Ministry guidelines when it's set to your own home. You should drink that before it loses its potency." Dumbledore forwent staring at the young man and carefully drank the potion, pleasantly surprised to find it tasted of peppermint. He glanced questionably at Harry who smiled a bit before moving over to his trunk.

"Healing potion. I never liked the bitter ones Snape made. I'm sure he does it on purpose." He chuckled quietly, all the while wondering where exactly Harry would get an emergency portkey from. He hadn't received anything by owl so...

His train of thought was cut of as a gentle buzz filled the room. Harry glanced over to his desk, to where one of his parchments was glowing blue. A moment later, one began to glow black.

"Ah, Remus and Moody." Dumbledore watched as he moved over the desk, reading quickly over the messages, which stopped the buzzing and glowing. Then to his surprise, Harry reached for his quill. It wasn't that this was so extraordinary, it was the fact that it flew to his hand as if attracted before he was anywhere near it. He wondered if he was even aware he'd done it.

"They say they've cleaned out the area as much as they can tell, took them a while getting here though." Dumbledore winced as he forced his body to sit up.

"Can you ask them why the delay?" Harry nodded vaguely, scratching away for a moment. His eyes darkened suddenly.

"They attacked the Burrow as a diversion." Dumbledore watched him carefully. He could see a coldness in his eyes which disturbed him greatly.

"Harry? Are they alright?" Harry nodded a bit, glaring out of his window.

"Yeah, Mr. Weasley managed to trap them in the kitchen until the Order could arrive." He let out a small sigh of relief while Harry moved onto two other pieces of parchment, obviously belonging to his friends.

"Apparently the Ministry managed to get up the street in decent time as well, just after them actually."

"Really?" Harry smiled coldly.

"Yeah, although it was for my arrest rather than safety but I suppose it's a step in the right direction." Dumbledore sighed heavily.

"I take it your magic was detected then?" Harry nodded a bit.

"Couldn't really not have it detected out there in the open when I didn't have time to mask it..."

"You know how to mask your signature?" Dumbledore asked, alarmed. Well that certainly did explain a few things. Judging by the way Harry flushed he definitely hadn't meant to give that away.

"Yeah...well, it'll be fun when I let them near me; they've got a good few dead Death Eaters' lying out in the street." Dumbledore groaned quietly. This was definitely not going to be good. He could only hope Tonks was alright to give possible testimony, and the Ministry personnel were trusted ones.

"I wonder why they haven't come for you if the streets are cleared?" Harry chuckled coldly.

"They have, they're here at the moment actually, outside the house. I made sure to help along the blood magic - none of them are getting in this house for now."

"Helped along?" Harry glanced at him.

"Made sure it activated and stayed, incorporated it into my wards, and extended the wards to contain the house." Dumbledore felt his eyes widen.

"That's extremely advanced magic Harry." Harry shrugged, reddening.

"Don't expect me to be any good at fighting after it. Wasn't that hard anyhow, just a twist here and there...any bones broken?" Dumbledore looked down and tentatively tested his arms and legs.

"None that I am aware of, I do appear weak though." Harry nodded vaguely, closing his trunk and then opening a different compartment. Dumbledore's eyes widened yet again at this. He rarely saw such a trunk outside of Auror habitats.

"You were under Cruciatus long enough, kind of does that to you. I've already given you the best remedy for that I could find out about, must have worked if you woke up."

"A murky green?" Harry glanced at him for a moment before nodding, pulling out a portrait.

"Could you call the school nurse, and then go to the headmaster's office and tell his phoenix to bring the nurse here for his master?" He watched in interest as the women nodded before disappearing from the frame.

"You keep surprising me Harry. She has a frame at Hogwarts?" He glanced at him in surprise but nodded.

"Yeah. I suspect we'll have Madam Pomfrey here in a few minutes. Should..." He grunted in annoyance as his window suddenly exploded.

"Great, they found the weak point. Rather smart for Ministry..." His mutters became inaudible as he drew his wand and moved over to the window.

"I'm not buying anything!" With that he did a sharp Reparo and a small charm to make it unbreakable. Dumbledore chuckled.

"Really Harry, Cornelius isn't going to like you resisting arrest." Harry smiled a bit.

"I'm not resisting, not one of them has said I'm under arrest, they're just attacking my home, and I'm defending it." Dumbledore laughed.

"Oh he most definitely won't like that." Harry shrugged.

"It's alright, I've already written to Luna about what happened for her dad while you were unconscious. Should be in the Quibbler by tomorrow that Ministry officials are attacking and draining the power which should be used to care for the injured member of the public I'm housing."

"It seems you have thought Cornelius out on this one then." Harry snorted.

"Not hard." Dumbledore watched as he nursed the outside of his wrist for a moment before moving back to his trunk and pulling out a pouch. He looked for Harry's wand, but found it was out of sight. He wondered where he had put it so quickly that he hadn't noticed.

"Sandwich sir?" He looked at him a bit bemused until he pulled himself a cheese sandwich out of the pouch and a glass of water that he placed on his bedside table.

"This is what you meant by your own food I take it?" Harry nodded.

"Useful isn't it? Would you like something?" Dumbledore grimaced at the churning in his stomach.

"No thank you Harry." He nodded and tossed the pouch back just as the women came back.

"Oh did you manage to find her?" The woman nodded, glancing at the bed questionably but not apparently bothered for details.

"Yes, she is on her way to the phoenix now." Harry gave her a thankful smile.

"I owe you. I'll speak to you later, alright?" The women nodded, watching the trunk lid come down on her before disappearing from sight. A moment later there was a flash of fire and Madam Pomfrey appeared in the middle of the room, looking distinctly ruffled. She glanced around the room once and then rushed to his side while Fawkes simply landed on the desk chair and watched.

"What _have_ you been up to Albus? I'm having a coffee and suddenly every portrait in the castle is shouting for me! I've never heard anything like it." Dumbledore looked at Harry in amusement who blushed and moved over to stroke a very welcoming Fawkes.

"Nothing Poppy, it's been rather a pleasant day so far." Both Harry and Poppy snorted at exactly the same time.

"Don't look at me like that Albus, you're over one hundred! Puppy eyes lose their power at the age of ten!" Dumbledore sighed, watching Harry as he began to write on his pieces of parchment while he relayed to had happened to Madam Pomfrey. She huffed and examined him before giving him a multitude of potions and scoldings.

"Really, why can't you go to the hospital wing?" Dumbledore glanced at Harry who tensed up just slightly at that.

"You may not be aware that the only thing that's holding half the Ministry from coming in and arresting Harry are some wards. I'd rather like to be here when someone manages to slip through."

"Silly man. Potter! Aren't you hurt? You're in my hospital every month!" Harry smiled a bit over his shoulder.

"No Madam Pomfrey, we're not at school at the moment, I'm fine thank you." Dumbledore frowned.

"You said we both were washed in the aftermath of the Killing curse, why aren't you in my state Harry?" Harry smirked.

"The gift of youth, and I had some protection on me, you didn't. That, and I stayed conscious long enough to take a potion, rather than have it forced down me." His smirk quickly disappeared though when Poppy began to fuss over him.

"Nonsense boy, no one walks away from that curse..." Harry laughed as she trailed off.

"Madam Pomfrey, I rather think you should think before scolding me." Dumbledore watched in amusement as she blushed before clipping him over the head.

"Stop talking back and let me finish examining you." Harry sighed and did so, watching his pieces of parchments glow. Dumbledore leaned forward a bit, hoping that Poppy was taking note of what was on the pieces of parchment, but even as he did, he realized that he couldn't focus on any of the writing on the page. Harry had charmed it.

"Well I..."

"HARRY POTTER! YOU ARE UNDER ARREST! REMOVE THESE WARDS AND COME PEACEFULLY..." The charmed voice cut of suddenly as Harry waved his wand and sighed.

"I rather wondered how long it would take them." With that he slipped out from Madam Pomfrey's clutches and moved over to the window, sliding it open. Dumbledore could only guess how many people he was looking out to by the grimace on his face.

"Where's Fudge?"

"That's Minister Fudge Potter!" Harry snorted exactly the same time as Dumbledore did. He glanced over at him in worn amusement before turning back to Fudge.

"Well now that you've actually given me a reason for being attacked at my own home by the Ministry _Minister_ Fudge; care to tell me why I am under arrest?" There was a loud spluttering.

"You've been using magic! You've killed..." Harry grunted.

"Don't any of you believe in innocent until proven guilty?" There were a few murmurs at that from the crowd, but no one seemed to want to speak up.

"Bring these wards down before we force them down Potter!" Harry laughed.

"If you haven't been able to break them down for the past few hours, what makes you think you can do it at all? Besides, even if you get past the wards anytime this summer, you won't get past the blood protection in your lifetime. As long as I feel threatened by your presence, there's absolutely nothing I can do to bring down the magic." Dumbledore had to smile as he heard Fudge scream in frustration.

"You're resisting arrest!" Harry leant against the window frame.

"I am not. One, you only just told me I'm under arrest, after spending the last two hours or so attacking my house, which I have right to defend when I'm not given a reason for the attack. For all I know you could be Voldemort's henchmen coming to kill me! And, secondly, I have no control whatsoever of the blood magic. So you see, _Minister_, I'm rather stuck here." Poppy glanced at Dumbledore questionably. He gave her a small smile and nodded. Her face came as cold as stone as she charged over to the window.

"Now see here _Minister_, I have a patient to care for, and I do not appreciate..."

"How did YOU get up there?" Harry moved away from the window, laughing quietly while Madam Pomfrey began a full raging argument with Fudge and his Aurors in his back garden.

"Harry, we can't stay here all summer." Harry grinned.

"Course not; I can leave the house whenever I want. I never said I couldn't. They didn't ask me to go out though, they asked to come in." Dumbledore stared at him. This was definitely not the Harry he was used to. This sounded much too...focused on intellect than pure will and emotion. He began to get the worrisome idea that he was thinking too much about everything.

"How can you leave?" Harry shrugged.

"I have an invisibility cloak, I have I preset portkey I can set somewhere."

"They will have put up things to stop you doing that you know." Harry nodded.

"I know, anti-apparition and portkey wards are up, but they're completely flimsy at best. Wouldn't take much at all to break through them."

"How'd you make that?" He shrugged.

"There are potions that can help, or a little charm could cause a hole in them, or you could just ram right through them if you didn't mind a hell of a headache afterwards I suppose."

"I think you need to sit back and enjoy your holiday more Harry, rather than study." Harry shrugged.

"Not really. It's surprising how interesting books about wards can be when you get the understanding down." Dumbledore chewed nervously on that for a long moment.

"You can't leave yet, not so early into the holidays." Harry let out a long sigh and the tiredness behind his voice cut into him.

"I know. Just remember you say that, and you're the one in the bed not moving much." He smiled slightly.

"Yes I am, aren't I? Perhaps Poppy would be so nice as to give me a strengthening potion so I could get onto my feet and see Cornelius about this stupid escapade of his." Harry moaned quietly.

"How long can I keep him out of here on the excuse of the blood magic?" Dumbledore smiled a bit.

"Not long. How long will your wards last?" Harry flushed.

"They're beginning to collapse. I think they've finally got someone competent on them." Dumbledore murmured his agreement before falling back in thought. He knew that the public wasn't going to be helpful for Fudge if he brought charges against Harry, but Harry didn't exactly play by the rules. There was more than enough for him to justify him accusing Harry of a number of crimes.

"Really! The audacity of that man! How dare he..." Harry cut her off.

"Did you see who's working on the wards?" Madam Pomfrey paused for a moment before glancing back out of the window.

"Yes, it's Arthur's boy...Percy, Percy Weasley." Harry let out a small growl of anger at that name. Dumbledore was aware that his respect for the Weasley family made him feel angry at Percy's betrayal to them, but the light in his eyes foretold of more than just that. He most definitely decided he needed to be out of bed before Percy Weasley got anywhere near Harry Potter. On a vague note though, he felt a fledging of pride; he had chosen him to be Head Boy after all. It was his choice that was bringing down the wards while the others had no success.

"Harry? What are you planning on doing?" Harry let out an audible breath before turning slowly to him, his eyes sparking dangerously.

"Well how many options are there really?" Dumbledore watched him as he slowly paced his rooms. He was unstable, constantly changing from confident and arrogant to the fifteen year old boy he was. Some might have called it growing up, but Harry Potter had grown up long ago, even if he did have his occasional tantrums.

"Cornelius will want you up before the Wizengamot." Harry grunted a bit, glancing at his trunk. Dumbledore smiled a bit.

"Well then maybe I should remind you that I have been reinstated as Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot." Harry paused for only a second before continuing his slow pacing.

"You'll only be charged for conspiracy against the Ministry or something unless you act impartial." He had to admit, Harry had never stuck him as a person who went into specifics. That was much more like his friend Hermione Granger.

"Well yes, but the least I can do is make sure you have a fair trial. Cornelius has very little to put on you if you for example condone Veritaserum." Harry winced a bit, glancing around his room for a moment before suddenly moving to his desk and scratching a quick note.

"That'll take ages though. I didn't want to spend my birthday in a holding cell." Dumbledore's face darkened a bit.

"No, I shouldn't think anyone would. Poppy, would you please give me that strengthening potion you keep telling me of? I think I need to take some action."

"Oh Albus you need rest!" Dumbledore gave Harry a pained look. He gave him a small smile and moved over to his trunk. There was more than a moments rummaging, and then he handed him a vial. He felt his moustache twitch violently as Poppy glared at the young boy.

"Oh you've got your own medical care centre here then have you? I take it you won't be needing..." Harry suddenly gave a very small gasp and moved back to sit in his seat.

"What is it?" Harry glared out of the window.

"Percy's not playing nice." Dumbledore quickly drained the potion, happy to find it also was deprived of its normal bitter taste.

"How so?" Harry pulled a face as he got a reply on the furthest right piece of parchment.

"He caused some kind of surge in the wards, making them double back...to me in this case...anyway, my wards are down."

"Then perhaps we should get to business. I must commend you on your potions skills despite Severus's complaints, they are quite potent." Not a word of it a lie Dumbledore climbed shakily to his feet and picked up his wand, letting out a soft sigh as Fawkes flew to him and rested on his shoulder, bathing him in warm strength.

"Thank you my old friend." Harry glanced at him while writing furiously between two pieces of parchments.

"The Order's coming to give you some cover in case the crowds a bit...too much."

"I may be my age Harry, but I do not think I will be crushed in a crowd easily." He flushed a bit but didn't argue. A moment later he nodded to himself.

"Kingsley's already out back with Moody anyway." Dumbledore nodded and stroked Fawkes for a moment before gesturing Poppy over.

"Very well, don't let anyone in the house. I'll contact you when I have the situation working to our benefits." With that, and a flash of bright flame, both adults disappeared from the room. Harry counted silently to five, and then moved quickly to his trunk, summoning a small box. He quickly glanced around and then opened it, quickly looking over the fang inside, before lifting it nervously to his left ear. There was a sharp pain, and then he felt he earring magically attach itself. Pushing the throbbing of his earlobe out of his mind he quickly cast a concealment charm on himself and moved over to the window. Looking out he quickly found Dumbledore and Cornelius being given a wide berth by everyone else. Carefully moving his hand up to his new earring, he cast his mind back to the instruction manual. With painfully slow care he pulled it, begging he didn't rip any skin, while focussing his gaze intently on the two men. To his satisfaction he felt it work immediately.

"...is not on!" Fudge definitely didn't sound appeasing.

"I am telling you Cornelius, there is absolutely no magic that will let you in that house while you parade around here making him feel threatened! You have my word I will deliver him for a hearing later in the month once you withdraw!" Dumbledore's injuries were apparent, but he wore them to no effect. He looked as if he was alive as he was every other day. Harry had to wonder how he managed to do that. Not ten minutes ago he had been unable to move further than a metre without being in pain.

"A month! Never! He's killed..." Dumbledore cut him off so sharply Harry looked for magic whiplash.

"He has killed no one! You will not make such claims without the proper evidence!"

"I have dead bodies!" Dumbledore took a step forward.

"As well I suspect you will. I for one do not take kindly to ambush, neither does Harry. We did not care for control on our curses while defending ourselves!"

"He's underage Dumbledore! He..."

"Is full within his rights to defend himself!" Fudge was so red he resembled in comparison to Harry's fingers a berry, which he wished would be crushed when he closed his fingers.

"He's a dangerous criminal! I will not let him wander free for a month..."

"He is no more a criminal than you and your greed make him! I will remove him from the house and bring him to trial within the week – that is my final offer. If you leave it, you are welcome to continue to attack the blood magic, but bear my warning. The magic _will_ begin to retaliate soon!" Fudge visibly paled at that.

"I...it...you can't...but..."

"Do you agree to my terms?" Fudge looked around him desperately, but no one offered him any help. With a snarl he turned and stormed away.

"I want him in the courtroom by Monday Dumbledore!" With that he disappeared out of sight, his many Aurors and personnel scurrying hungrily after him. It was quite disgusting to see such a sight.

The moment they were out of sight, invisibility cloaks were shed and what appeared to be half the Order was suddenly visible in his back yard. Harry had to admit, he never saw Privet Drive as a politic battleground.

"What do we do now Albus?" The underlying growl to the voice left no doubt that it was Moody speaking.

"We work on reinstating the wards..." Harry groaned gently and moved over to Moody's twin parchment, having noticed it clutched in his hand. He quickly scribbled a note and then moved back over to the window with the parchment and quill, reactivating the fang.

"...don't waste time with putting up the wards again." He saw Moody's magical eye swivel for a long moment around his room.

"Albus? You did leave him in the house didn't you?" Harry stared at him for a moment before remembering the concealment charm. He swore quietly under his breath as there was a panic outside and quickly began writing on the paper.

"Don't worry, I'm here, the wards stop your eye." Moody looked relieved and rather perplexed.

"I didn't know you could block my eye...hey! If he can block my eye he could have been at the meeting last night! The cheeky little..." Dumbledore looked around him in amusement.

"Yes well, he didn't want to share that little secret so feel free to speculate. Perhaps we should adjourn to headquarters? This is not a good place to talk." There were murmurs of accent followed by numerous cracks of apparition. Harry slowly deactivated the fang once Dumbledore left last, obviously painfully. He was surprised he had the strength to Apparate, he wasn't certain he could do it himself if he needed to. He also knew that the younger you are, the faster your power reserves and you yourself recover.

With a small sigh he decided to sit out this Order meeting and replaced the parchment back onto his desk. Placing his wand on his bedside table he moved back to his trunk and shuffled through it until he brought out Rowena's portrait and leant it against his headboard. She wasn't in her frame at the moment so he sat back and waited patiently, running over the days happening in his mind. While a sip of Veritaserum would prove his innocence of murder, it would just prove him guilty of other mundane things like using magic and tampering with Ministry observation records.

"Yet again I hear you have had an adventure. The same small man was running through the halls again. He appears to make quite a habit of it." Harry chuckled quietly, imagining Professor Flitwick running around the castle in a panic every few hours.

"Yes. The outer wards failed and we were attacked by Death Eater's. Professor Dumbledore was badly injured so I brought him back here, and after doing what I could I asked you to summon the school nurse." Rowena sighed quietly.

"A pity she could not see me. I had to ask the other portraits to call for her, and they were rather too eager." Harry grinned.

"Yeah, I heard about that. Couldn't you just shout her and tell her?"

"I'm afraid that if people can't see me, they also can't hear me, otherwise I would immediately instruct them with the appropriate counter-curse." Harry blushed a bit, twisting his thin sheets under his hand.

"Suppose that makes sense." There was a few moments silence which allowed Rowena to look him over. He had no idea whether she was so sharp eyed when she was alive, but she certainly seemed to want to analysis him with every new conversation they had. He wondered as a side note whether she actually knew how much time had passed, or if she tried to interpret that by his appearance.

"What happened at the meeting last night then? Were the charms we went over successful?" Harry grinned reluctantly at that.

"Oh yes, very. Moody couldn't see a wink of me and neither could Dumbledore." Rowena nodded her approval.

"And the other man...the potions master. Did you manage to shield your mind from him?" Harry winced a bit at the reminder. That had been the most draining activity of the night.

"Yeah, with the help of that potion I found in the book and that chant you told me."

"Very good. You were hidden then the entire night?"

"Apparently they're having right arguments over how I managed to hear what they were saying, and give them that little message at the end." Rowena smiled, and he thought he detected a glimmer of pride.

"You are a fast learner when you want to be. You should always leave a little something for people to ponder on, keeps them on their toes, and makes you just a little less predictable."

"I felt a bit silly leaving it though."

"I expect you would do, but did anyone tease you about it as you feared?" He shook his head doubtfully.

"No, but they've hardly had chance to. I spoke to my friends a bit ago. They know I trashed the meeting because Mrs. Weasley was having it out with Mr. Weasley afterwards, but I was more worried about them then that. The Death Eater's attacked their home as a diversion for the Order." Rowena scowled.

"I certainly don't like the sound of those men and women. If I had my wand and my body I would put a stop to them right this instant!" Harry smiled sadly.

"It's not that simple. The Death Eater's are dangerous - very dangerous, and trained hard. They also seem to be getting bigger - I didn't recognize one of them from earlier. That and they managed to beat down Dumbledore by sheer numbers." Rowena sighed.

"A pity. I wasn't able to see him well on the bed. I have heard many a tale about him." Harry nodded.

"He is a great wizard. He saw you as well by the way." Rowena glanced at him in surprise before smiling warmly.

"This is a nice surprise. Three people have seen me in the space of a week. That has never happened before."

"Perhaps when things cool down you will have chance to talk to him. We might have a while before that happens though." Rowena's raised a quizzical eyebrow.

"Oh," Harry explained. "The Minister is taking me to trial again, this time on murder charges as well as underage magic." Rowena eyed him carefully for a moment.

"You didn't kill anyone did you?" Harry shrugged a bit, rather unnerved he didn't really care.

"I'm not sure. Well...I did influence a lot of wands to backfire the next curse fired...but they really killed themselves. I used a Flipendo on one guy to stop him cursing Dumbledore so maybe...the rest I just hit with general physical spells, forcing them away."

"I can't say I know much of your customs and rules in this day, but you did all your actions upon self-defence and defence of another person, so they shouldn't have much against you." Harry laughed coldly.

"Oh Fudge'll drag something up somehow - he's got his own personal vendetta against me. Oh sorry, that's the Minister." Rowena's expression before it darkened.

"A Minister of Magic should not have a personal vendetta." Harry shrugged.

"He's spent the last few years making me out to be a madman and raving lunatic, I'd say he was beyond caring." She looked thoughtful for a long moment.

"Something must be done about him. We may think on that another time. Now, how are your reserves?" Harry sighed and closed his eyes, taking a moment to calm himself before feeling out the magic inside him.

"Weak, but returning quickly. I was surprised Dumbledore managed to get the power to Apparate before I did." Rowena gave him a small smile.

"You'll find some spells become increasingly easier with age. I may have been depicted as my younger self, but I was older than Dumbledore when I finally died. At that time I could Apparate with less than a thought and without even tickling my power supplies." Harry frowned a bit.

"But I thought it was harder to cast spells with age..."

"When you reach the one hundred mark, yes, some spells do become a hassle, but they are the powerful ones. It's not that they become harder; it's that the magic takes longer to regain. A wizard in his prime is normally aged forty to fifty. Before then the most complex spells can't be mastered, and the power reserves aren't under enough control, even if they are revitalised quickly. That is why I worry about you attempted the Fidelius charm. It will surprise me greatly if you can control your own reserves enough to even begin the charm, never mind complete it." Harry flushed darkly in indignation, but quickly pushed it away. He knew from growing experience that Rowena never was dishonest in her assessments. Her assessments came from knowledge of her own vast experience, which he couldn't doubt.

"We'll see." Rowena gave him a long look before gathering herself.

"Are you ready to continue with..."

_"Berimas!"_ Harry cried out in sudden pain as he felt the vein's in his left arm swelling to the size of a baseball. His eyes watered as he tried to reach for his wand on his bedside table but a quick banishing charm prevented his reach. Feeling his legs collapse beneath him at the pain he moaned at the pain, clutching his arm and furiously trying to think through the haze in front of him. He just remembered his second wand in time to be hit with summoning charm, and cursed his bad luck he had let his wand out of his holder at that second. As the wand disappeared from his grip, he found a wand pointed straight between his eyes, and the person he most definitely didn't want to see holding the wand behind it.

**A/N:** For regular story updates and notifications, please join my Yahoo Group which can be found on my profile  
  
[#]Beta needed[#]


	9. Chapter Nine

**Chapter Nine**

"How dare you! Do you have any idea how worried I was! You could have been killed! You could have…"

Harry swallowed nervously, his pain almost forgotten as the wand in front of him dangled frighteningly close. "I had my cloak remember, never mind the fact…"

"Do you think that bloody cloak would have stopped the killing curse? Do you?!"

Harry was tempted to say no, that was the portkey, but realized it was best not to agitate someone when they had a wand pointed between your eyes. He gritted his teeth as the pain in his arm began to worsen.

"Would you mind taking off this curse already? It hurts like hell!" There was an angry mutter, he groaned in relief as the pain subsided to a dull throb and his arm slowly shrunk back to within normal size parameters.

"You bloody insensitive git! What do you think would have happened to everyone if you'd gone and topped it on a bloody suicide mission? We'd have lost both you and Dumbledore!"

Harry felt a well of anger beginning to rise up in him. "I'm not bloody bothered if you lose the bloody Boy-Who-Lived! Dumbledore's more important than I'll ever be!"

Tonks, wearing worryingly light grey hair, suddenly wavered, her eyes glittering, her wand shaking almost uncontrollably. "I'm not talking about the Boy-Who-Lived you daft prat! I'm talking about you and Dumbledore. How'd you think Remus would take you both dying on him? Molly or Arthur? Bloody half the Order's smitten with you both you little brat!"

Harry felt his mouth dry suddenly, before Tonks burst into tears. His awkwardness quickly replaced his surprise though. He really had no idea what to do when girls cried. Granted, Tonks really couldn't be counted as a girl, but still the same concept applied.

Before he even thought about what to do, he carefully pulled her wand from her hand and out of his face, letting out a small breath of relief, as she didn't object. He quickly sucked in his breath though, when she collapsed on the bed next to him. He jumped slightly, not expecting the sudden closeness.

A small cough gladly pulled his attention away from the sobbing female beside him. He looked around the room before focusing on Rowena, who gave him a pointed look, and then mimed putting her arm round someone. It took a few moments for Harry to get her meaning, and he blushed darkly when he finally did. That was definitely not something he thought he would come up against. Dark Lord, sure; Mrs. Weasley ready to crush him and scold him silly, sure; Hermione even, crying her eyes out and throwing herself on him for a brief second before turning to Ron. Tonks though…

With a sigh and a very pointed glare at Rowena, he tentatively reached around Tonks and put his hand gently on her shoulder, jumping in surprise as she suddenly leaned into him and squeezed him tightly. He felt his cheeks burn even more, but under Rowena's direction carefully held her around her shoulders, and after much silent inner turmoil, agreed silently to gently rub her back.

It felt like a millennia before Tonks managed to lower herself to small sniffles, then he saw her own blush beginning to rise from under her robes and watched with a shy interest as it climbed slowly up her neck and then to her cheeks.

Tonks suddenly coughed and sat back, blushing just as furiously as Harry had been. Noticing she was about to wipe her eyes with her sleeve, he did what he felt was the first right thing that day, and conjured a box of tissues, though how he had done so he didn't really know. His wandless magic hadn't progressed beyond summoning and banishing, with a bit of levitation in-between.

Tonks took the tissue box from him with a small smile, and carefully wiping her eyes before sneezing. She gave a small laugh and another sniffle as she took her wand back and vanished the used tissue.

"Sorry Harry. Needed that. Don't get much chance for a good cry being an Auror, you know? Doesn't go well with the job description." Harry attempted what he hoped was a believable smile while turning to Rowena for assistance. Tonks carried on, obviously unaware of his diverted attention.

"You're so stupid though, you big prat! Do you have any idea what it did to me when I found out you bound my apparition? The only time anyone does that is when they're doing a suicide run!" Harry swallowed painfully, remembering the truth wasn't very far from that at all. He was very lucky to have his cloak and watch.

"And then we find out we can't Apparate back, so we have to go to Bella's first! I thought I was going to find you dead and it'd be all my fault! Molly was shrieking away and…."

Harry sighed. "I'm not dead, I'm not hurt, and the only curses that hit me were fixed in a few minutes when I got back. You didn't think I went running for Dumbledore without some kind of backup plan did you?"

Tonks flushed immediately, looking up at him with a horribly watery expression. "Of course I did! You don't bloody think before you do things! I'm an Auror; don't you think I could have helped?"

Harry immediately shook his head. "No. First, my cloak let me get close enough to them without raising suspicion, and I didn't have to watch out for you. Second, I would have been dead if I had to extend my shield over two people. Third, they didn't have any advantage over me because I got Dumbledore straightaway. Fourth, I had a portkey on me set to my room."

Tonks blinked hard for several moments before pulling him into a very tight hug. He groaned in embarrassment as he pressed his face into her shoulder, for the life of him wondering why females were so emotional.

"Don't you ever do that to me again! I'm here to help, not run away!" Harry felt his blush darken even more, but still managed to feel the even more embarrassing warmth inside his chest. He really didn't want to end up getting emotional now too; he didn't think it would be a very good idea. At least one of them should remain composed.

"So many people care about you Harry, just bleeming open your eyes once and see it! You should have seen the state everyone was in when they found out you went back for Dumbledore!"

He pulled away from her shoulder just enough to manage to open his mouth. "Everything went fine. Dumbledore was the one in my bed with Madam Pomfrey, not me!"

Suddenly, Tonks pulled back from him so she could look him in the eye, a playful twinkle beginning to re-spark. "I don't think watching such things are quite appropriate for people your age Harry."

He groaned in embarrassment, but couldn't stop his own smile as Tonks laughed with a lightness he hadn't heard from her before.

"I didn't mean it like that!" Tonks grinned cheekily at him before pulling him in for another squeeze, then just as suddenly pushing him back and getting to her feet, making a great show of straightening her robes.

"Well, if that's what happens in your bed, I think I better not stay on it any longer."

Harry felt his jaw drop and his cheeks steam while Tonks burst into giggles.

"I…what…you…oh god!"

"Hey! Don't act like you wouldn't be interested! I could be anyone you know, even Poppy if she's what strikes your interest."

"OH MY GOD NO!"

Tonks's laughter filled his ears while his face lay buried in his hands, his body shivering in disgust at the very idea.

"Well I suppose I could do Dumbledore if you…"

"No! No! No! NO!"

Tonks paused before sitting down next to him and leaning in suggestively. "Does that mean you would settle for just me?"

Harry jumped off the bed faster than a cheetah could run, his eyes wide, and his cheeks aflame as they had never been in his life. Tonks, however, looked like she was laughing harder than ever before in her life. She was crying again, she was laughing so hard.

"Don't look so frightened Harry! I don't bite…hard!" She dissolved into giggles while all Harry could do was stare at her. He managed to force his gaze to Rowena, but she just grinned and winked at him. He moaned and closed his eyes. He would never understand women. One minute they were crying their hearts out, the next laughing their hearts out.

"Erm...I think I'll...go to the bathroom. Yes! That's it!" Without waiting for any response he quickly fled the room, his cheeks burning so much he failed to even smile at the form of his uncle still slumped where he was left, though this time snoring away fitfully.

* * *

"Is it safe yet?" There was a laugh, and Harry found himself suddenly being yanked into his room, and the door slammed shut behind him.

"Of course it is you silly git! Fixed your problem then?" Harry blinked as he regained his orientation. Tonks looked fully recovered from both her earlier escapades, other than slightly flushed cheeks and a massive sparkle in her eyes. Rowena, behind her, was laughing quietly to herself. His bed was a mess, yet again, from Tonks rolling around on it while in her giggling fit.

"What?"

Tonks grinned cheekily at him. "Fixed your problem? Weren't too sly about sneaking out, were you?"

Harry stared at her for a moment. "I went to wash my face."

Tonks chuckled. "Sure Harry, they all say that. Take a seat." He felt confusion fill him as she pushed him down onto his bed and unceremoniously took a seat on his desk chair.

"They all say what?"

Tonks blanched for a moment before grinning. "Well, they all excuse themselves to the loo anyhow. I've seen it loads of times Harry, no need to be embarrassed."

"What are you on about?"

Tonks rolled her eyes. "It's perfectly natural you know, nothing to be ashamed of."

He stared at her. "Ashamed of what?"

A bit of the sparkle left her eye. "What do you normally do when you go to the bathroom?"

Harry blushed a bit, completely and utterly lost. "Use the toilet or wash…why?"

Tonks stared at him for a very long moment, her manner becoming almost worryingly soft. "Harry, have you done sex education?"

Harry blinked and then felt his cheeks beginning to fill even more. "Er."

Tonks was chewing her lip. "Didn't your uncle…no, course he wouldn't. He's a fat prat who couldn't get laid if he paid the women…why the hell your aunt's with him I'll never know."

Harry felt his eyes widen and his voice take on an unnaturally high pitch. "What?"

Tonks glanced at him and shuffled a bit in her seat. "Cor Harry, didn't think any kid your age wouldn't know about sex."

Harry gritted his teeth, trying to force his blush down with absolutely no success. "I know..."

Tonks watched him for a long moment. "Do you know where babies come from?"

Harry choked. "Of course!"

Tonks grinned a bit sheepishly. "Well, you never know…hasn't anyone talked to you? I would have thought Sirius at least mentioned."

Harry cooled down in a split-second at that. "Oh…no, didn't really have the chance to talk about much ordinary, every day stuff."

Tonks shuffled again, her expression falling a bit. "Oh I'm sorry Harry, I didn't mean…."

Harry took a deep breath, pushing it aside. "No, it's alright. I know...enough. Can we talk about something else?"

Tonks looked at him optimistically for a long moment before nodding slowly. He was sure though that she was filing away the conversation for future use.

"Right you are then Harry. Why don't you tell me what happened? I'm missing Dumbledore's debriefing."

Harry sighed quietly, wondering perhaps if he should have stayed with the alternative conversation choice. Thinking into that though, he realized that, most definitely, was not an option. So, Harry tried to quickly fill Tonks in on the happening of the last few hours. It didn't work that way because Tonks would stop him every few seconds and press for more details, until he realized she was going to keep doing it. He told the story as well as he could remember it, thankful that Tonks saved her interruptions for only the biggest parts. A good half an hour later he finished with a long sigh.

"So, I'll probably be in front of the Wizengamot on Monday."

Tonks scowled a bit but didn't argue, looking rather confused. "You said the blood magic kept them out…how come I managed to Apparate in?"

Harry smiled. "It only keeps out those that I'm afraid will hurt me, and those that wish me real harm. Even if you came with a bit of revenge planned, it let you in because I trust you."

Tonks blushed scarlet. "Oh…sorry about the cursing. I was upset."

Harry smiled at her small voice. "No worries, doesn't hurt anymore."

Tonks scowled. "That's meant to leave residue pain for four hours!"

Harry stared at her before laughing at her sudden change of mood. "Yes well, I don't think it planned on me layering it with healing charms in the bathroom." She blushed again and muttered to herself, before looking around the room for seemingly the first time. Her gaze fell upon the parchments on his desk.

Harry immediately made his mind blank. He didn't have a clue whether Tonks knew Occlumency or Legilimency. He would have thought the first at least would be mandatory for Auror training in case they were captured, but you never knew.

"Nope. He's confidential."

Tonks nodded, smiling. "Well he will remain secret then I suppose."

Harry winced, cursing himself inwardly. "Leave me alone, I'm tired."

Tonks chuckled. "Alright, maybe I was being a bit picky there. Are you really tired? You look like you could do with some rest." Harry scowled but couldn't prevent his yawn. Tonks laughed despite his glare. "No." He said pointedly. She just laughed more.

"Right you are again Harry. Get to bed, I should check in with Dumbledore anyway. I'm sure they're praying I haven't found some way to kill you."

Harry smiled weakly, glancing and finding Rowena absent again. With a careful wave of the hand, deposited her frame into his trunk, and the trunk sealed.

"You're just lucky I realized who you were, I was about to blast you like Uncle Vernon before I recognized you."

Tonks grinned. "Is he still out there?"

Harry grinned back. "Yeah, snoring his head off."

She chuckled before looking thoughtful. "If you'll excuse me, I think I'll go and entertain myself before I leave. I'll see you later."

He watched her carefully. "Don't do anything too painful...humiliating yeah, but not painful."

Tonks stuck out her tongue as she opened the door. "You're no fun."

He chuckled as she closed the door behind her, and almost immediately began to hear oinks. Rich laughter joined the pig snores before a loud crack told him Tonks had left. With a soft sigh, and a more than confused air about him, Harry changed his robes into pajamas with a thought, and fell into his bed, finding sleep amazingly quickly and peacefully.

**A/N:** For regular story updates and notifications, please join my Yahoo Group which can be found on my profile


	10. Chapter Ten

**Chapter Ten**

"Ah Tonks, I hope you left Harry in one piece?"

Tonks nodded, while taking a moment to get her bearings. She hadn't expected to find the Order at the Burrow. "Yeah, he even conned me out of some curse after-effects...why are you here?"

Dumbledore chuckled, gesturing for her to have a seat. It was obvious (after what Harry told her) he didn't have a lot of strength. "Understandably, both Molly and Arthur were unwilling to leave their children alone in the house, and since we had need of both of them in the meeting, we moved here. We've just taken a tea break." Tonks grinned, immediately turning her hair a colour she knew Molly would fret over - a lovely baby blue.

"Wish we could have tea breaks normally."

Dumbledore looked thoughtful. "Perhaps. I might ask one of the Hogwarts House Elves to attend to Headquarters..."

Tonks noticed Molly backing out of the living room, tray in hand, and immediately stood up. "Erm...I just need a word with Molly." Dumbledore watched her curiously, as she quickly grabbed Molly's arm and pulled her outside the house. She moved a good deal away from the house as well, towards Arthur's shed. She always had the uncanny feeling he could hear people even from outside the door. The fact that he couldn't see her was more reassuring.

"Tonks what's all this? Is Harry alright? I hope you calmed down before you..." Tonks waved her questions aside.

"Did you know Harry hasn't been given the talk?"

Molly blinked, completely caught off balance before reddening a bit. "Excuse me?"

Tonks had to smile. "Harry. No one's told him anything about it."

Molly frowned. "Surely Sirius..."

"Nope, I asked..."

"You _what_?"

Tonks winced. "Well I was teasing him and he basically fled to the loo, so when he came back I asked him if he'd taken care of himself - he didn't have a clue what I was talking about!"

Molly paled. "Oh the poor boy. I can't believe...surely Ron must have talked with him about it!"

Tonks glanced over her shoulder at the sound of the door opening. "Well you can ask him now. He's coming over with Ginny and Hermione."

Molly began to blush again. "Oh lord the poor...girls, could you let us talk to Ron alone for a moment please?" Both Ginny and Hermione scowled, but after a few minutes of arguing slunk off to a corner. Ron looked nervously between his mother and Tonks. Tonks gave him what she thought was a reassuring smile, but only managed to make him pale more. She frowned while Molly gave him a motherly smile.

"Now Ron, I know you don't like talking about this kind of stuff with grown-ups, but have you ever talked about sex with Harry?"

Ron, like his mother previously, looked completely caught off guard, before his eyes bulged and his cheeks reddened violently. "_Mum_!"

Molly tutted. "Really Ron, this is important. Have you or haven't you?"

Ron stared at the both as if they were out of their minds. "No, why the bloody hell do you want to know?"

"Mind your language Ronald Weasley!"

Tonks had to refrain from laughing at the groan that followed. "What the heck's this got to do with anything?"

Molly scowled at him before suddenly glancing to Tonks worriedly. "Wouldn't his un...no of course not. Oh lord, no wonder he's so proper and charming!"

Tonks snorted. "Please Molly! It's not like he's totally innocent!"

Molly pulled a face. "Of course not, he has his little temper tantrums and the normal things but he's never eyeing down girls like Ron..."

Tonks did laugh this time as Ron turned as dark as a plum. "MUM!"

Molly paused and glanced over at her son. "Oh! Sorry Ron, I thought you'd gone." Ron huffed and turned heel before stopping short.

His eyes suddenly widened. "Bloody hell! You mean Harry doesn't know about...sex?"

Tonks grinned at him. "Well, he ain't no dummy, but where's he going to find out the details? Unless you're passing round dirty mags in the dorm..."

Ron blushed more but looked very bewildered. "He can't...not know. I mean that's...Merlin Harry!"

Molly scowled again. "Don't you think about saying a word, we'll figure out what to do about it. I hear you tease or mention it to him once and you'll be grounded the rest of your life!" Ron simply stared for a moment before blushing darkly and storming over to the girls.

Tonks watched him go in amusement. "Well that was fun."

Molly sighed heavily before turning back to her. "I never really thought...I mean it's just one of those normal things, and you never think about Harry and normal in the same thought."

"Right there."

Molly mumbled to herself. "I'm sure Arthur wouldn't mind..."

Tonks glanced at her sharply. "Not a good idea, at least at the moment. Harry's got enough on his plate without being embarrassed about sex."

Molly's face darkened. "Albus told us what happened. If I ever stand face to face with that Fudge I'll break him..."

"Molly!" Tonks chastised in mock shock. "Think of the example that'd set for the children!"

Molly flushed darkly. "Oh yes, of course, got ahead of myself."

Tonks grinned cheekily. "...you don't hit him, you curse him! Right between the..."

"As enlightening as the rest of that sentence may be, would you ladies care to rejoin us now?" Tonks blushed as Dumbledore twinkled brightly at her, leaning on a wooden cane at his side.

"Sorry sir."

"No harm done, none at all. Ah, Mr. and Miss Weasley, and of course Miss Granger. Would you care to join us as well? I believe you might be interested in our meeting." Tonks couldn't hide her smile as all three faces lit up identically.

"Is it about Harry?" The second Dumbledore nodded all three were immediately at his side, asking questions. Dumbledore promised it would be covered inside, and gestured to those who had left for a breath of fresh air to return. Five minutes, later they sat in the magically expanded front room of the Burrow, watching as Dumbledore leant forward.

"To summarize for those who weren't here earlier, Harry was ambushed while in both mine and Tonks' presence by a previously unthought-of number of Death Eaters. After some truly spectacular curses, we were separated and I was overcome..." His eyes laughed as three identical gasps came from the youngest in the audience.

"Yes, nothing is impossible. Tonks was injured. Harry performed some minor healing charms and got them both under cover. Unfortunately, he wouldn't hear of leaving. From what I heard, he forced Tonks to apparate and bound her ability to apparate. From what I can remember, after her departure Harry turned up in a cloak similar enough to resemble a Death Eater at a distance, and when close enough, used the element of surprise to push back the Death Eaters with various physical curses, such as a Reductor curse. He summoned me, which I must say is an achievement in itself, since human bodies do not take well to being summoned, least of all magical bodies. Then, after some fancy fireworks, he activated a hidden emergency portkey to take us to his bedroom. Unfortunately, we both were washed in the Killing curse and amazingly survived. I must also say that Harry's potion skills are extremely underestimated, Severus. He had me up and running in only a few hours and they were without the bitter aftertaste."

The room chuckled as Snape darkened. "Perhaps he wishes to show me up then in lessons by failing and putting the blame on my teaching." He said smoothly.

Ron was immediately on his feet. "What? Half the people in the class can't brew right cause you're breathing down their necks every two seconds!"

"Do not..."

Dumbledore coughed pointedly. "Do you wish to take this outside, because I will not allow it to be discussed here." Both of them returned to their seats grumbling an apology. Dumbledore smiled happily at them before turning to Tonks.

"If you care to report from your perspective?"

Tonks blushed but nodded. "Where should I start?"

"Perhaps from when we left the house."

Tonks nodded again and took a deep breath in preparation. She really wasn't one for public speaking. "Well, I noticed the streets were empty which I thought odd considering it was the holidays, and last year there kids were all about, so I was a bit on my guard. Nothing happened until we were in sight of the park; then Harry tells us as offhand as you please the wards are coming down. You pulled out a pocket watch...or something that looked like one and said they were perfectly intact."

Dumbledore frowned. "Yes. I'm still unsure how they managed to bring the wards down without alerting me." Tonks waited a moment before she was sure he wouldn't continue.

"Well, they came down and, as fast as anything Harry stunned a guy who just apparated in. I've got no idea how he did it so fast, but he has some bleeming fast reflexes."

"Quidditch." Ron intoned as he smirked. There were a few laughs.

"Yeah, well, then he pulled Dumbledore down to avoid a killing curse, and that woke me up. I looked around for a target but couldn't find any. Dumbledore just began to warn me about invisibility cloaks before Harry summoned them all at once." There were many murmurs at that.

"He summoned them before you warned him Albus?" Dumbledore glanced at Mad Eye.

"About the same time I'd say. He reacted so quickly, before I'd even finished my sentence."

Moody's normal eye sparked. "Wonder if he can see through them." There was a collective mutter at that.

"Perhaps we can test that theory later. It may have just been quick reckoning on his part. Tonks? Could you continue?" Tonks nodded, wondering how she had forgotten to ask Harry that herself.

"Well, you sent the feather off for the rest of the Order while we were fighting. Then Harry did that whopping curse...I've never heard of it before."

Dumbledore chuckled. "I'd be very surprised if you had. I didn't remember it until I saw the effects. I read about it many years ago, in the same book talking about the Fidelius charm." More murmurs. Tonks frowned. Hadn't he told them about all of this already? Dumbledore seemed to understand her expression.

"I thought the action would be better depicted by you."

Tonks flushed and gave him a small glare before shrugging. "I don't know. The curse seemed to charge for about thirty seconds and then it shot out like this massive black vortex thingy. I thought he'd blown up the whole street or something; it felt like there was a volcano going off somewhere. Weird thing though, nothing happened to anything or anyone, the DE's even stopped and checked themselves over for a minute."

Dumbledore chuckled. "Yes, a very clever curse actually, though I am _very_ surprised he managed to pull it off. I've never attempted it myself, but I can imagine it would be _extremely_ draining, considering the effects."

"What happened?"

Tonks winced. "Well, they cast curses at us, except the curses backfired in every wand the vortex thingy had been near. That probably accounts for most of the bodies." There was a very deep silence.

"He...he forced all their spells back at them?"

Dumbledore smiled. "No. The curse works on rightful vengeance if I remember the paragraph correctly. It works in a manner that forces the first spell after the wand is affected to rebound on the caster. Unfortunately, in this case, many cast the killing curse. Harry was already stunning others, he did nothing but let them seal their own fates." There was a hush in the room.

"He turned around the killing curse? That could save lives!"

Dumbledore looked thoughtful. "It is possible I suppose, but, for one, should the curse become publicly known it could lead to very many messy situations, and for second, I'm not quite sure it could be performed by many. As I said, I was _very_ surprised he managed to use the curse, never mind the fact he still fought a lot afterwards. Of course, it is worth a try. I shall have to find out where Harry learnt it. Tonks? Perhaps the rest?" She thought back for a moment.

"Pretty much straight away after that I got hit with something in the side. I don't know what it was...but it was pretty nasty. Burnt like hell and started eating away at me. I went down but lucky sir was drawing all the attention, really giving it to them. Harry got the guy cursing me then did something that stopped the curse, healing charms I suppose. He poured some sort of potion onto my side that stopped the pain and cleared my head."

Snape leant forward, his expression actually showing interest. "Did you note the colour of the potion?"

Tonks scowled. "Course not, I was bloody in pain! He had it in a purple vial anyhow, I saw him toss it to aside when he finished with it." Snape sneered and sat back.

"Yeah well, I'd like to see you pay attention to something like that!"

Dumbledore chuckled. "Tonks?"

"Oh yeah...he pulled us behind a fence to get us out of the path of a Reductor curse, and then he said out of the blue that they were concentrating on you, and they had you under the Cruciatus... and that you'd dropped your wand." Everyone turned to Dumbledore who smiled back at them cheerfully.

"Perhaps we should give him extra lessons with Sybil."

Minerva snorted hard with many other people in the room. "Albus, you shouldn't be up and about if you've been..."

Dumbledore raised a hand. "I am perfectly fine for now Minerva, do not worry. Harry gave me numerous potions to counteract both that, and the killing curse wash. They were extremely potent." He gave Snape a very long side-glance before nodding at Tonks. She shuffled her feet.

"Well of course, I didn't have any idea how he'd know that, so I pushed it aside and tried to get him to apparate to head..." There was a roar in the room and she felt her eyes widen in horror when she realized what she said.

"He can apparate!" Tonks started swearing hard under her breath. Harry was going to kill her!

"Well that explains a few things." She grimaced and bit her lip as she pondered how much Harry was likely to hurt her.

"If you can continue?" She groaned quietly, carefully choosing her words to make sure she didn't drop anything in the conversation.

"He...wouldn't leave you sir, so I tried to pull protocol and tell him that he was top priority."

"As well you should." She smiled, thankful that no one was giving her trouble over leaving Dumbledore.

"Well, all that did was make him raise his wand. I summoned a shield of course, but I wasn't expecting him to do anything except perhaps stun or disarm me."

Dumbledore smiled. "I doubt he would have done that with Death Eater's running about the place." Tonks scowled before taking a breath.

"The only reason I know what he was doing was because I've seen Moody do it once. We were on a raid and one of the Aurors was hit. We managed to take control long enough to learn there were more on the way to fight against us and the guy was dead weight. Moody used an incantation to apparate him to base. Harry did the same to me, though I've no idea where he learnt it."

Moody grunted. "It ain't easy to learn either. You need to know where you're sending the person beforehand, to the last detail. Ain't taught either, I learnt it off Albus."

Dumbledore nodded thoughtfully. "When he said he was studying, I neglected to ask where he had gotten his studying material."

"I've only seen old books. That wasn't all he did though. He bound my ability to apparate as well. Bindings not the same as the anti-apparition jinx of course, it's taught at the highest level of Auror training. No idea how he got his hands on that either; he didn't use the standard version. It took both Moody and Arthur almost ten minutes to break it."

"Really?"

Tonks grinned at Hermione. "Yeah, Arthur said something about it."

Arthur nodded with a hint of a smile. "It wasn't the standard one, but it had a lot of similarities. I think he...altered it. Made it harder to break."

Tonks groaned quietly. "Yeah, he mentioned something about merging some normal things with some magical theory to make them harder than the normal stuff to break and counter." She snuck a glance at Hermione and found her eyes alight with challenge. Her thirst for knowledge was incredible.

"Well, that's why then. It just took us a while to figure around it."

Tonks nodded, yawning. "That's pretty much it. Got back here, got Arthur, tried to go back and found couldn't apparate. There were temporary wards around the area, probably DE's work. We flooed to Arabella's and that's it pretty much."

Dumbledore nodded. "I wonder why Voldemort wasn't there himself." He ignored the number of flinches before sighing.

"It's probably best that he wasn't, I doubt the outcome would have been the same. Would you care to enlighten us on Harry's latest attack?"

Tonks flushed darkly. "Oh...I didn't hurt him...not that much anyway..."

Dumbledore chuckled. "I won't ask. I take it he took it well?"

Tonks let out a small breath of relief. "Yeah, pretty much. Nothing interesting happened except I'm sure now he's not over Sirius he's pushing it aside. Oh...and his uncle's a pig, but other than that..."

Dumbledore gave her a stern look that lacked power because of the twinkle in his eyes. "I asked you not to do anything to him!"

Tonks whined, "Oh come on! He was still where we left him, snoring his fat ass off!"

"Tonks! Language!" Tonks gave Molly a withering glare. She was _not_ fifteen.

"I..."

"Anything else Tonks? Very well, Minerva, if you could see to it that Vernon Dursley is returned to his proper state?" Minerva nodded, her lips twitching greatly as she walked regally from the room. Tonks sighed and slouched back in her seat. She'd hoped the old oaf could stay like that for at least...

"Oh wait! I forgot. I apparated back after I was sure Harry knew I was gone - he was fast asleep. I reckon those curses took a lot out of him."

Dumbledore nodded vaguely. "I would have thought so, especially when Percy Weasley forced a magical backlash on him, which really wears..."

"WHAT?!"

Dumbledore winced. "Alas, my mumbling gets me into trouble."

Molly didn't soften. "What did you say?"

Dumbledore let out a long sigh before sitting back. "Harry erected wards around Number Four and merged them with the blood magic, very impressive feat in itself. The wards kept the Ministry, and Cornelius' rage, out for a good few hours before your son had a go. He brought them down by playing a bit dirty and forcing the magic in the wards back to the source - Harry. I was surprised he didn't all out faint, he just gasped and stumbled." Molly's face darkened along with every other Weasley in the room. They all opened their mouths to say something, but a polite cough cut them all off.

"I don't believe we have heard anything from our youngest visitors?" Dumbledore glanced thankfully at Kingsley before turning his attention to the three on the couch, who promptly blushed a very great deal.

"Well? Any thoughts?" There was a small silence until one of them got the courage to speak up. Surprisingly, the first one to speak was the youngest.

"What was the Ministry doing fighting Harry's wards?"

Dumbledore blinked. "Oh, my apologies, it seems I neglected to mention. The Ministry was summoned with amazing speed to arrest Harry for underage magic and murder. He's to be taken to trial on Monday." The roar at this was unbelievable. Dumbledore had obviously been expecting it, because not a second after it started he cast a silencing charm, looking calmly around the room. It took everyone a moment to realize that there was no sound coming out of their mouths, and then they sat and glared. Dumbledore chuckled quietly to himself before administering the counter.

"Now, stay calm. Harry managed to discredit Cornelius enough for me to convince him I would escort him to trial on Monday, so he was able to avoid a holding cell and lord knows what else our Minister had planned. As Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot I have absolutely no plan of allowing Cornelius to rig the trial in anyway."

Hermione swallowed audibly. "What charges?"

Dumbledore watched her carefully for a moment before replying, "Murder and underage magic, as I mentioned. I have a feeling though that this trial will account for much more. There is an awful lot Harry may be accused of." The room visibly sobered.

"If he condones Veritaserum he could give away half the Order."

Dumbledore sighed. "That I am aware of. I do hope that I can convince the questioner to stay on a strict guideline if it comes to that. There is also the fact that Harry has been breaking the law of late."

Ron blinked. "What?"

Dumbledore gave Tonks a very long look. "For one, he has stunned an Auror. He has been performing massive amounts of underage magic, and erected wards to prevent Ministry monitoring of him. I also believe he has possession of a second wand, though I could not summon it when I attempted. Tonks? Perhaps you should speak?" Tonks felt her cheeks flare. This was most definitely not a good situation.

"I..."

"Obviously, you have Harry's trust, but these things will be vital to the outcome of the trial."

Tonks chewed her lip nervously, glancing around the room. She felt a prickling at the back of her head and gasped, slamming up Occlumency shields. "Get out of my head!" Snape snarled but sat back and the relief filled her.

"Tonks. I understand your hesitance, but I know you understand how important this matter is. Does he have a second wand?" Tonks swallowed painfully. Everyone was looking at her, and she knew that Dumbledore would order her to answer any minute. Harry was going to kill.

"None of the things Harry got this summer were illegally obtained. He owns all of them perfectly legally." She squeezed her eyes shut as mutters filled the room. Opening them again, she found Dumbledore smiling to her relief.

"Very well, that is enough. I commend you on your loyalty to him. We can also add illegal apparition to the charges if he's under Veritaserum. I'm unsure what else until I speak to him." There was a long pause in the room.

"This is going to turn out bad isn't it?"

"I intend it to turn out very well Mr. Weasley; I just hope my intentions are enough."

Tonks shuffled uncomfortably in her seat. "Can I..."

"That's another point Tonks, how did you get into his house?"

Tonks blushed as she glanced at Moody. "He said the blood magic let in people he trusted, just not those that meant him great harm and made him feel threatened."

Dumbledore looked up. "Interesting. I could have sworn I created it to lock down the house completely in the event of a threat...perhaps he altered it."

"Maybe. Can I go and..."

Dumbledore chuckled. "You are eager. Shall we perhaps move the meeting to Privet Drive? I am certain a good number of us will be able to enter the house with this news." There were some murmurs.

"Very well then. Tonks, if you'll go and make sure he's...appropriately ready. Molly, if you could prepare yourself not to crush him and scold. I'm afraid the younger ones will have to be left here with those who can't get into the house...but I will let Arthur fill you in when he gets back." Tonks stayed just along enough to see their scowls before disapparating.

* * *

A soft smile filled her face as she found Harry fast asleep on his pillow, his arms holding another pillow tightly to him. He actually looked peaceful, which she, sadly, didn't expect of him. Waking him up from that state didn't appeal to her at all. 

She carefully sat down at his side, knowing that the others would be arriving shortly. Chewing her lip, she watched his breathing for a moment, trying to gather herself. She carefully reached out and brushed his fringe from his eyes before gently resting her hand on his shoulder, giving him a gentle shake.

"Harry." He murmured something quietly and moved onto his side, mumbling in his sleep. She smiled; he was most definitely cute.

She made to shake his shoulder again, but stopped as numerous cracks filled the room. Harry's reaction was so fast she was amazed; he was asleep the second before.

He sat forward, his eyes opened in a blink of her eye, a wand in his hand, and a shield covering the whole bed. She stared at it, rather impressed at how it enveloped the whole space around them. Harry most definitely had some interesting books.

A faint chuckle seemed to bring Harry to his senses. He blinked, took account the people facing him, and her herself. After a long moment he slowly lowered his wand, and so in turn, the shields.

"I see I was correct in thinking you had a second wand. Extraordinarily fast draw; I didn't even see where you got it from." Tonks saw Harry's eyes widen and glance quickly to his bedside table, where she saw his normal wand. When she looked back, she discovered his second wand had somehow disappeared.

"What happened? Why are you all here?" Tonks glanced around the room, surprised at the amount of people that had gotten in. She nearly gasped outright when she saw Snape lurking in a corner, the surprise on his own face still there. Also present were the ones to be expected - Molly, Arthur, Moody, Kingsley, Remus, Dung, and everyone who had been in his guard last year.

"Nothing to worry about Harry, just yet anyway. Perhaps you should change?" Dumbledore said. Harry scowled. Tonks opened her mouth to give a warning, but already he changed his pajamas into ordinary robes without a thought, much to the surprise of everyone. Only a few seconds later he realized his mistake and swore.

"Harry! Language!" Tonks groaned quietly. That woman really had a problem!

"Interesting Harry. If you'll excuse me while I provide seats?" With a wave of his wand, the room suddenly expanded four times. Another few waves and large comfortable chairs were conjured around the room. Tonks noticed that she seemed to be expected to keep her seat on Harry's bed.

There was suddenly another crack, at which Harry stopped reacting halfway through doing so. A flustered McGonagall appeared in the room and glanced around.

"Really Albus, you could have told me you were coming here or I wouldn't have doubled back."

Tonks blinked. "Wait a second, how come you sent her here if you didn't know the blood magic would let her through?"

Dumbledore blushed gently. "A small hindsight on my part, I forgot." There were chuckles around the room, though Harry didn't join in. His eyes were scanning them all warily, flickering to his trunk and wand more than a few times. Tonks smiled and handed him the latter, which he quickly pocketed.

"What exactly are you here for?"

Dumbledore quietly sighed. "We were in a meeting trying to discuss the pros and cons of Veritaserum use on you during the trial on Monday. Unfortunately, we aren't aware of what you have been doing the past week, and so need to know just how much can be placed upon you should you be asked about it." Harry paled a great deal at that.

"Now, we are already aware of your use of magic and wards illegally, and Tonks let slip you could apparate before pummeling herself for doing so, but we should also know what else you could possibly be charged with."

Harry looked like he had swallowed a very painful potion. "Erm..."

Dumbledore gave him a small smile. "Of course, it's none of our place to tell you off for anything you have done, and nor will anyone do so. This is quite simply for your own safety."

Harry eyed Dumbledore before carefully moving out from under his covers. "And?" He looked caught between being resigned and cautious.

"Well, we will need to know of any illegal spells you've used firstly."

Harry thought for a long moment. "I haven't, that I know of, although the curse I used earlier could be classified as one. It isn't at the moment because barely anyone knows about it so...no."

"Who have you used spells on?" Harry grimaced and glanced at Tonks who chewed her lips.

"He guessed about Levi."

Harry winced but let out a long sigh. "Well, that git. I've dueled a bit now and again with Tonks, but haven't used anything more serious than a Petrificus Totalus." Dumbledore watched him for a few seconds.

"And?"

Harry gritted his teeth. "That's it."

Dumbledore simply stared for a moment at him. "Harry, you're lying." Harry didn't break eye contact with Dumbledore.

"I know. I'm not telling about the last person. Don't worry, he won't press charges." There were a number of frowns at that.

"What did you do?"

Harry suddenly laughed. "I didn't kill him. It was just some...friendly curses." Dumbledore's eyes narrowed but he nodded.

"Very well. Anything else illegal that comes to mind?"

Harry shrugged offhandedly, almost as if he was bored with the conversation. "Apparition, an illegal potion, erm..."

Snape leaned forward. "What potion?"

Harry glanced at him in distaste. "Why?"

Snape snarled. "Because some carry very great punishments for brewing."

Harry let out a very frustrated breath. "Areter Vacuum." Tonks had absolutely no idea what he was talking about but Snape's eyes widened a great deal.

"Where did you get the recipe for that?" He all but spat. Harry shrugged carelessly.

"One of my books."

Dumbledore glanced at Snape. "What is it, and what is its sentence?"

Snape stared hard at Harry. "It creates a temporary mental shield, quite a strong one actually. The reason its illegal is mainly because it is so dangerous to brew and the fact it can counteract most truth serums. Depending on the use, and context, it can cost a few years in Azkaban. I do hope you haven't poisoned yourself yet Potter!"

Harry's eyes narrowed. "No actually."

Snape nodded. "Very well, give me the potion and I will dispose of it. You can't be charged without use..."

Harry yawned. "I haven't got it."

Snape froze. "You brewed it for someone else?" Harry rolled his eyes.

"Of course not, who would I brew it for?"

Snape frowned. "You mean you actually took it? Are you mad boy! That could kill you..."

Harry gave him a very harsh glare. "I'm not dead am I?"

Snape's lip curled. "You should summon Madam Pomfrey, Albus; he's got poison in his..."

Harry grunted. "I would be dead by now if I had Snape."

"Professor Snape, Harry." Harry completely ignored Dumbledore, glaring full force at Snape.

"When did you take it?"

Harry snorted. "Oh lord, you said I was thick! Last night!" There was a silence in the room and then Moody started laughing.

"Well I never."

Tonks grinned as well as Snape flushed ever so gently. "I think you're a bit slow today Sevie." Snape sent her a glare that just made her grin wider, and sunk back into his corner.

Dumbledore sighed. "How great would a sentence be in that context?"

Snape growled. "Because it was used to protect his own mind, there shouldn't be a sentence." A visible breath of relief stole through the room.

"That is good. Anything else Harry?" Harry scowled but seemed to be thinking. He glanced at his trunk for a long moment.

"Not really. Well...I think I might have permanently injured some Death Eater's earlier, especially the one who got the Flipendo to the chest."

Dumbledore smiled. "I hardly think that will be our concern considering who you were cursing. Are you sure that's everything?"

Harry slowly nodded. "I think so..."

Dumbledore smiled suddenly. "Very well. Do you think I could perhaps have a closer look at your portrait? I've been wondering where I recognized the women from."

Harry blanched. "Now's not the best time."

Dumbledore frowned. "Why ever not?"

Harry began to blush. "It'll take much too long. After everything's over will be much better. She's quite...insistent for knowledge of recent events."

"Really? Portraits normally care only for their rest after so many years..."

"She's not like other portraits." The confusion was evident on Dumbledore's face but apparently, he was willing to let it slip.

"Very well Harry. Is there anything else you feel you should share before we leave?"

Harry shook his head, before pausing. "Oh, I'll meet you for the trial, I need to do something first." He blushed as every head turned to him.

"Don't worry, it's nothing illegal." Tonks laughed at the surprise on everyone's face, while Harry just scowled.

"We'll talk about that nearer the time. Make sure that the blood magic is maintained, I don't want Fudge getting his claws in you."

Harry snorted. "I wouldn't go anywhere with him." There was a palpable silence in the room before Dumbledore stood up.

"Very well, I'll be in touch soon. To headquarters, at last I believe. Molly, if you'll return home and appease your children, direct everyone there. This has been a rather long day, hasn't it?" With that, he gave Harry a smile and small wink before disapparating. Slowly everyone followed, Snape last, scowling menacingly. The moment he was gone Harry seemed to deflate and fell back against his bed.

"This is going to be fun." Tonks nodded and slowly took his wand from him to put back on his bedside table.

A thought occurred to her. "How did you draw your other wand so quickly? Where is it?" Harry gave her a tired smile and pulled up his sleeve. His face scrunched up in concentration, and then to her surprise a wand holder became visible.

She grinned. "Sly Harry." He nodded before forcing the holder to disappear again. He slumped back against his bed, yawning widely.

"Can you ask them to leave me alone until Monday? They can talk to me on the parchment." Tonks nodded slowly, wondering if they'd take a thought to anything she said.

"Sorry about slipping about apparition Harry, I was..."

Harry waved a hand. "Don't worry about it." She watched him as he slowly began to close his eyes. With a soft sigh, she saw him slip off to sleep. She carefully moved him under his covers and simply looked at him for a long moment, before she too disapparated. There was only so much one person could take, and she was worried Harry was at his limit.  
  
**A/N:** For regular story updates and notifications, please join my Yahoo Group which can be found on my profile  
  
Sorry for the update delay, I've had problems with my computer which are now hopefully fixed


End file.
